


The Candidate's Daughter

by orphan_account



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bodyguard, Angst, Are you happy now Magda?, Eventual Happy Ending, F/M, PTSD tw, Sexual Content, Violence, are you?, be prepared to use kleenexes in the middle, magda told me i should warn for that, olicity - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-15
Updated: 2015-09-04
Packaged: 2018-03-07 16:27:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 28
Words: 31,640
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3177103
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Oliver Queen doesn't know what to expect when he signs on with mayoral candidate Anthony Smoak to protect his daughter, Felicity. He doesn't expect to enjoy the job so much. He certainly doesn't expect to fall in love with Felicity. And he certainly doesn't expect that this job will lead both he and Felicity into more danger than ever before, a danger neither of them could predicted. </p>
<p>Tensions rise as danger falls over Starling City. They'll either emerge as heroes, or die trying.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Job

Oliver Queen had hit a low point.

“Diggle, I need this job!” he exclaimed. Oliver put his hands on his face. “I can’t do civilian life anymore. I need...something. Something to keep me active and alert without…” Oliver trailed off. 

Diggle sighed. He knew exactly what Oliver was dealing with. “Look, I’ll pull some strings for you. I know a lot of good people in the business. I’ll see if I can connect you with someone,” he said.

Oliver closed his eyes and sighed. Diggle was a lifesaver. “Thank you.” 

Diggle shook his head and watched as Oliver gathered his things and left the apartment. He felt bad for the kid. Twenty-six, back from active duty, didn’t know what to do with his life. Diggle had been there. He’d made it through, and he knew Oliver would, too. Still, Diggle worried about Oliver. Alone and dealing with PTSD was never an easy place in life. Hopefully Diggle could find something suitable for his friend.

Oliver got the call about the job nearly a week later. 

“How do you feel about being a personal bodyguard for the daughter of a rich senator?” asked Diggle on the phone.

Oliver frowned. “You mean a spoiled socialite?” He wasn’t sure being around spoiled rich girls was quite his cup of tea. He did need the job, though, and if all else, he wouldn’t mind the view, at least.

“Nah, I hear this one is fairly normal. She’s pretty and has stayed clear of the limelight so far. Shouldn’t be too much trouble for you,” said Diggle. 

“Alright, I’ll do it,” answered Oliver. “When do I start?”

“Tonight, actually. Come by my apartment and I can get you the uniform and brief you on the job. You’ll be at a political gala, so be prepared.”

“Invisible but always there. Basically my job with special ops,” joked Oliver. 

Diggle chuckled. “Come on over, Oliver. It’ll be good for you to get out.”

Oliver couldn’t argue with that. He really only had his sister Thea, who was busy at school and trying to run her own business. Too much had happened while he was gone during his five years overseas. He was grateful for Diggle, who had taken him under his wing during a group therapy session for veterans. Diggle had come back from active duty with PTSD, like Oliver. Fortunately for Oliver, Diggle had been back for a little bit longer and knew how to cope with civilian life and nightmares. Oliver couldn’t have asked for a better friend. 

Oliver arrived at Diggle’s apartment later that day, and when Diggle handed him his uniform he immediately groaned. Black suit, white shirt, black tie. 

“Really Diggle?” he asked, holding his suit up for further examination. “Isn’t it a bit...cliche?” 

“It was either that or the black muscle shirt that makes you look like a bouncer at a nightclub. Come on, Oliver. It’s a politician’s daughter. This is what they gave me. I don’t make the rules.” He gave Oliver a strong pat on the back, and Oliver resigned himself to the uniform. He should be used to uniform by now. Just not this kind of uniform.

“Alright, brief me on the job.”

Diggle pulled out a manila file and handed it to Oliver. Oliver opened it, and his eyes opened wide. 

“This is Felicity Smoak,” said Diggle, pointing at the gorgeous blonde woman in the picture. Her golden hair had been pulled back into a neat ponytail, glasses somehow not hiding the beauty of her blue eyes. And what he wouldn’t give to be near those gorgeous red lips of hers.

“Try not to drool too much; she’s your new job,” warned Diggle. He rolled his eyes at Oliver. Should have picked a job for him protecting some old man. “She’s twenty-two, recent MIT graduate. Rumor has it she’s working on starting her own cyber-security business.”

Oliver gulped, reigning in his thoughts. This is his job. Felicity. Protect Felicity. He flipped pages to a picture of an older man in a suit and a large smile. 

“This is Miss Smoak’s father, Anthony Smoak. Republican. Overprotective, classic politician. Rumor has it that he has strong ties to Washington, even though he’s just on city council. He’s been working towards developing several economic bills that would either revolutionize Starling or destroy it. He’s reportedly received various threats, none of which held weight.” Diggle turned the page again. “And this is Donna Smoak, Felicity’s mother. Bit flighty for a politician’s wife. Humble beginnings, fell in love with a simple man who became a politician. Currently works as an interior designer. Any questions?”

Oliver nodded. “What am I doing tonight?”

Diggle flipped the file for Oliver. “You’re attending the political gala tonight. You’ll be meeting with the family beforehand to get acquainted. Mr. Smoak is now your boss. Do you understand?”

Oliver nodded. “Perfectly.”

“Suit up, Oliver. You have a gala to attend.”


	2. Felicity

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In honor of the great 2x23 Olicity Kiss Release, have a fic update. Also, THANK YOU SO MUCH to everyone who reviewed and reblogged on Tumblr. Was not expecting this much great feedback. You guys rock.

Oliver arrived at the Smoak mansion shortly after Oliver’s briefing. Oliver quickly introduced himself to Mr. Smoak.

“Oliver Queen, was it? Nice to meet you,” Mr. Smoak smiled broadly and shook his hand, a firm, quick handshake fitting of his political role. “Let me introduce you to my daughter. You’ll be keeping an eye on her during the gala tonight.” He led Oliver into the house. “Felicity!”

Felicity descended the stairs, her shy smile gracing the room. Oliver held in a gasp when he saw her. She was gorgeous. Leaving her glasses behind, Felicity had worn a simple, floor length black gown, strapless, with a diamond necklace adorning her neck. She had pinned her golden waves all to one side and it cascaded down her shoulder. This was one job Oliver was sure he could do. 

“You called?” she said, standing by her father’s side. 

“Felicity, meet your new bodyguard, Oliver Queen. He’ll be taking care of you until further notice,” said Mr. Smoak.

Felicity held out a hand, and Oliver shook it. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Queen,” she said. She smiled sweetly at Oliver, and for a brief moment, Oliver caught the deadly look in her eyes behind the sweet and innocent smile. Oh. He could tell she was biting back a comment or two (a slew of angry comments, if Felicity had her way), but she played the role of obedient daughter perfectly. 

“Now, we must be off. There’s still plenty to do for tonight. Oliver, do escort Felicity to the gala. Your car is waiting outside. I’ll have one of the other bodyguards drive tonight,” he said, waving them off as he purposefully exited the room and prepared to leave.

Felicity’s smile quickly turned into an angry pout. She simply seethed as they got in the car. Oliver attempted to open the door for her, but she took the door for herself and Oliver sat down next to her and closed the door. The driver pulled out of the driveway and they were off.

“Driver, partition,” said Felicity the second they got out of the driveway. The partition in the car immediately went up, and Felicity turned to Oliver, a venomous look in her eye. “I don’t care who you are, Mr. Queen, or how you got this job. I don’t need you. I am more than capable of defending myself. This is another way for my father to exert his misogynistic control over me, and I won’t stand for it.”

“I do not doubt that you are capable, Felicity,” said Oliver, trying to maintain a steady control of his expression. Not that there was much expression to show anyway, but Oliver knew it was always better to err on the side of being stoic when it came to acting as a bodyguard.

“In fact it would be better if you didn’t pay any attention to me at all,” stated Felicity, not looking at Oliver.

Oliver put his hand on hers, and she nearly jumped back in surprise. “Felicity.” She finally looked him in the eye, and she could feel a warm blush spreading through her cheeks. “It’s my job.” Oliver removed his hand from hers as soon as he could, recognizing that he had already made a massive mistake. 

Felicity’s sharp tone softened alongside her posture. She didn’t look at Oliver again. “I understand that it is your job. I just ask that you recognize my personal agency.”

Oliver nodded. “Understood. I will do my best to respect your agency, Miss Smoak.”

The driver pulled up to the gala and the two exited the car. Oliver stood to the side as Felicity took the main stage, waving and smiling. He sifted through the background as she played her part as the politician’s daughter.

Oliver had to give her credit. She knew how to play the part of the demure, sweet daughter of the politician, but the truth was far more complicated than that. Felicity Smoak was a bitter, vivacious, and powerful young woman. Oliver had that figured out in the first twenty minutes he had known her. 

This job was going to be harder than he thought.


	3. Allies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter does contain some violence and reference to war/blood/people dying. Special thanks to Sue (skcolicity) for helping me edit!

Felicity had no intention of staying at the gala very long. All she had to do was stand on stage while her father announced his mayoral campaign and look pretty and proud, her usual public stance. And then she planned on bolting. 

She glanced back at Oliver. He was obviously a new bodyguard. That was obvious from the moment he stepped into the house and gawked at her like she was some Barbie. Typical. Nothing she couldn’t handle though. He’d be easy to dodge. She hated making such a new bodyguard so miserable, but it couldn’t be helped. Felicity had better things to do with her time than be the perfect politician’s daughter. 

Her father walked on stage, and she and her mom followed suit. She patiently waited and smiled, cameras flashing and applause sounding as her father flashed his famous smile and announced his candidacy. 

The music and celebration began again, and Felicity slipped off stage. She glanced around and found a cute guy. Perfect. He’d be a good cover for her escape. Felicity didn’t even bother learning his name. She just flirted, caught his interest, and excused herself briefly. 

She entered the bathroom. Usually there was some sort of good escape route from there. Unfortunately, she hadn’t planned well enough. There was no window in the bathroom for her to slip out of. Felicity went to her second best plan: the kitchens. She quickly slipped out a side door and down the alleyway. She’d planned her own personal route from the gala to her location. She must have looked odd, skittering down alleyways in a fancy dress until she found a taxi to take her into the Glades. 

Felicity had the cab driver drop her off almost a block away from her actual destination. She tipped the driver generously and walked around before pulling out a key from her purse and entering her own secret apartment. She sighed in relief as she tossed her bag on the second hand couch. 

“Home sweet home,” she said, going into her bedroom. Felicity slipped out of her dress and into her favorite pajama pants and a t-shirt.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door, and Felicity nearly jumped. No one knew this address; she had made sure of it. This was her one off the grid spot. She raced over to her computer where she saw the security camera footage. When she saw who it was, she frowned and opened the door.

“Oliver, what the hell are you doing here?” demanded Felicity. 

“Miss Smoak, my job is to protect you. I can’t do that if I don’t know where you are,” he said, shrugging. 

Felicity fumed as she yanked Oliver inside the house. “Did anyone see you?” 

Oliver shook his head. “No, Miss Smoak. I was more careful than you were.”

Felicity let out a groan of frustration. She stood toe to toe with Oliver, her finger pointed directly at his face. “Oliver Queen I swear if you tell anyone about this location, I will have you fired. You have no idea the kinds of things I am capable of.”

“Miss Smoak I am well aware of your many...capabilities,” said Oliver. “I’m just trying to do my job. You won’t even notice I’m here. I really don’t mean to intrude.”

Felicity took a step back from Oliver, her breathing slightly uneasy, face flushed at the way his eyes wandered over her and how close they were. “Fine. You can stay. Just...please, don’t tell my father. This is one of the few places on earth I can actually find some peace and quiet and pursue my hobbies.” She glanced over at the massive computer setup she had.

Oliver peered closer at the computer. He frowned. “It’s not my job to ask about that.”

Felicity grinned deviously. “Keep it that way.”

Several gunshots sounded from outside, and Oliver immediately went into battle mode. He pulled Felicity behind him and whipped out his gun and aimed it at the door.

“Oliver? Oliver it’s just the Glades. There’s nothing there,” said Felicity.

Oliver didn’t move. His heart began to pound and palms began to sweat. His hand began to shake, and his breathing became rough and jagged.

“Oliver? It’s okay, there’s nothing out there. I’m safe.” She slowly moved forward and took the gun from his shaking hand, turned on the safety and tossed the gun across the room. 

Oliver didn’t seem to hear her. Images from battle filled his mind: friends dying next to him, gunshots, his own brush with death. He may have been standing in Felicity’s apartment, but his mind was back in the midst of war. 

“Not here. Not now,” he whispered under his breath, attempting to ground himself back into reality. Oliver stumbled to the couch and sat down, head in his hands, breathing uneven, gasping for air. He tried to shake it off but he just couldn’t. Unwanted, hot tears stung his face as his mind raced and flashed images and memories that physically pained him. He could practically feel his friend’s blood on his face again, feel the bullets zipping past them. Bullets that hit him in the shoulder. Oliver could never quite wash off that feeling of Tommy’s splattered blood on him. It was his fault Tommy was dead. It was his fault. He should have saved him. He could have. Oliver unconsciously rubbed his face, trying to wipe away the imaginary blood. 

“It was all my fault,” he murmured, rocking back and forth. “All my fault.”

“Oliver?” Felicity’s whole demeanor softened as she realized what was happening to her bodyguard. “Can you count to ten with me?” She’d never dealt with anyone having a panic attack before, but a quick search on her phone showed that a distraction was good, if not necessary. She dared not touch Oliver, in case it made him worse.

Oliver nodded.

“One,” began Felicity.

“One.”

“Two.”

“Two.” 

“Three.”

“Three,” panted Oliver. 

“Four.”

“Four.”

“Five.”

“Five.”

“Six.”

“Six.”

Oliver’s eyes began to focus back in on what was going on around him.

“Seven.”

“Seven.”

“Eight.”

“Eight.”

“Nine.”

“Nine.”

“Ten.”

Oliver took a deep breath, his heart rate slowing down, the shaking finally stopping. “Ten.”

Felicity stood there, unsure of what to do. What was the protocol for this kind of thing?

Oliver looked at her, complete regret and fear in his eyes. “Please don’t tell your father. I really need this job.”

Felicity nodded. “You keep my secret, I’ll keep yours. Does this happen often?”

Oliver shook his head. “No. The flashbacks and panic attacks...they only happen with certain triggers. It will get better. I know it will. They’re not as bad as they used to be.”

Felicity didn’t know what to do. She’d never been around anyone so...human before. It was like he had iron skin but porcelain bones. Oliver Queen was a mystery, Felicity hated mysteries. They needed to be solved. The two of them sat in silence for a moment.

“I’m sorry, Miss Smoak. That was...,” he said, trailing off. “That won’t happen again in front of you.”

“Apology accepted. You and I are not friends. But perhaps in this we can be allies and keep each other’s secrets,” she suggested, body language once more turning steely and professional.

Oliver nodded, a small smile on his face. “Allies.”

The two of them returned to the party, Oliver returning to his position as the hidden but ever-present watchful guard. Felicity returned to her father’s side. Mr. Smoak pulled her aside and hissed, “Where have you been?” 

Felicity put on her best innocent face. “I’ve been here the whole time!” 

“You’ve been missing for a good half of the gala! I had security looking for you. You can’t keep running off like this, Felicity!” 

Oliver stepped in between the two of them. “I’m sorry sir. It’s my fault. I falsely perceived a threat against your daughter and had her sit away from the party for a moment.”

Mr. Smoak stared at Oliver, his glare worse than Felicity’s. “You’re lucky I don’t have you fired. But I’d rather have my girl overprotected than underprotected. Don’t make that mistake again though.” With that, Felicity’s father returned to the party.

Felicity smiled at Oliver, and he smiled back. A mystery indeed.


	4. Understanding

The next week of bodyguard duty went something like this:

“Oliver, I need to go shopping.”

“Yes Miss Smoak.”

“Oliver, I need you to drive me to Central City to visit Iris and Caitlin.”

“Yes Miss Smoak.”

“Oliver, I need you to give me one second of space please, for the love of God! I hate having a bodyguard.”

“Yes Miss Smoak.”

Felicity hadn’t been wrong when she told Oliver that they weren’t friends. They didn’t interact more than they needed to. The personal distance was simply a part of the job, but Oliver would be lying if he said he didn’t want to talk to Felicity more as friends.

It wasn’t until Felicity went back to her secret apartment that Oliver and Felicity had a real conversation. She disappeared, as usual, and Oliver followed her, as per his job description. He stood outside the door, not entering, standing still in his suit. Eventually, Felicity, well aware that he had followed her, opened the door and groaned. 

“If I’m going to keep this apartment a secret, I can’t have my bodyguard standing outside. Come on in, Oliver.” 

Felicity sighed. She knew she couldn’t get away with this with any other bodyguard. It was simultaneously frustrating and relieving. 

“Don’t mind me. I’ll be over here on my computer,” said Felicity, leaving Oliver to his own devices while he sat on the couch.

“I came prepared. I brought a book. You’ve got enough locks that I think I can breathe for a moment, too,” he answered, pulling out a novel from his suit jacket.

Felicity chuckled in surprise. “I don’t understand you, Oliver Queen.”

Oliver shrugged. “You don’t have to. I understand you, and that’s what matters,” said Oliver, not glancing up from his book. “It’s my job.”

“Oh do you?” Felicity raised an eyebrow. She supposed it was possible; Oliver had been keeping a watchful eye on her for the past week. Perhaps he was more observant than his looks suggested. 

“You’re stubborn and headstrong and you’ve got this perfectly sculpted steely mask that you use to talk to anyone except your father. Everything you do is perfectly controlled and calculated,” he said. Oliver smirked at Felicity. “You’re not actually cold and calculating, though. You’re just lonely. That’s all. You’re a normal human being.”

Felicity couldn’t protest anything he said; he was right, and both of them knew it. But for once, someone saw her as a person. Not a pawn, not a fashion icon, not a public figure. A person. It was a first. She sat in her computer chair and turned toward Oliver.

“Okay, so...you understand me. And here I don’t know a thing about you except for you have PTSD, likely from your time in the military,” said Felicity.

Oliver nodded. “True. Although I wonder why you would want to know anything about me. I’m just the bodyguard.”

Felicity’s heart pounded. If she was honest with herself, she liked Oliver. It was a complicated sort of affection that she didn’t even know how to describe. He fascinated her. “You’re a mystery,” she said. “And I don’t like mysteries.”

Oliver sat up and finally looked at her. “Fine. What do you want to know?”

“Why did you become a bodyguard?” she asked.

Oliver took a deep breath. “I needed the job. I’ve been back in Starling for all of a year, and I couldn’t hold down a normal job. I worked as special forces, and now that I’m home...I couldn’t cope. I got my buddy Diggle to connect me with a good job. Your dad pays well,” he answered.

Felicity nodded. She found herself nervous, unsure of what to say. When she didn’t reply, Oliver lifted his book back up and began to read. Felicity worked at her computer.

“Felicity?” ventured Oliver after several minutes.

“Mmm?”

“What do you do at your computer?” asked Oliver.

Felicity blushed. “I write code. I hack things.”

“What things?”

“Well...right now it’s the criminal databases my dad has insisted on purging from the city. Sometimes some of these crime bosses do good things for their communities. They take their illegal money and put it to good use, like with schools or community programs. Maybe there’s another way,” she answered. “I’ve cracked into at least ten systems in the past...two hours.”

“Felicity?”

“Yeah?”

“I think you might be a genius.”

Felicity laughed. “You might be right.”

Oliver smirked. “Don’t let it get to your head.”

Felicity huffed and turned back to her computer, ignoring the comment. People had accused her of being vain and selfish before. For the most part it didn’t bother her, but she wished people knew that she was far more than just her father’s wallet. Oliver was right, though. Felicity did have a genius-level intellect, something she tended to keep a secret. 

“Felicity, you know I’m only teasing, right?” he asked. 

She nodded in response. “Yes, I do.” It was a lie. Sort of.

“You have a good heart, Felicity. You just don’t know what to do with it.”

Felicity sat there in silence a moment. She didn’t know what to say. She couldn’t seem to concentrate on her hacking after that moment. Something about Oliver was just so...distracting to her right then and there. Felicity lost track of the time as she sat there, trying to hack and ignore Oliver’s presence. She didn’t know how long she sat there until she said, “Oliver, please take me home.”

Oliver did so without a word, without a second guess of her judgment. Felicity couldn’t take her eyes off him as he drove home.

When they arrived home, the rest of Mr. Smoak’s security met the two of them. 

“Where have you been?” demanded Mr. Smoak, his appearance almost disheveled. Oliver tensed.

“I’ve been out shopping,” said Felicity. Oliver nodded in agreement. Mr. Smoak noticed her lack of shopping bags and gave a questioning look. “I didn’t like anything I found.”

Mr. Smoak rolled his eyes. “We’ve received a real security threat. A death threat toward me and my family, with substantial evidence that it could be carried out. Whoever this person is, they’ve threatened all of us, including you, Felicity. From now on, you will stay in the house unless escorted by Oliver, who will stand on vigilant guard. I’m opening the room next to you so you can have 24/7 attention. Is that clear, Mr. Queen?”

Oliver nodded in silent understanding. 

“Excellent.” Mr. Smoak continued bossing around his staff. 

Felicity gave Oliver a begging look. “Please, I can’t stay here all the time. I’ll go crazy,” she said softly.

Oliver desperately wanted to put a hand on her shoulder and reassure her that it would all be okay, but due to the presence of many other people around, he didn’t. “Don’t worry, Miss Smoak. I’ll make sure you’re well taken care of.”

Felicity smiled. She wanted to touch him in spite of herself, even if it was simply just a touch of thanks, or a kiss on the cheek. She had to get that idea out of her head fast. Girls like her did not fall in love with their bodyguards. Who had ever said anything about love? Not Felicity. Definitely not Felicity. Felicity didn’t have time to fall in love, and certainly not with Oliver. Goodness knows the kind of scandal that would happen if that leaked. 

“Thank you,” she whispered, hoping that her inner monologue hadn’t somehow escaped in her voice. She kept her expression stern and turned back to go to her room. Oliver followed after, standing guard at her door.


	5. Stay

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Been busy with school recently, but here, have an update. Don't forget to like/reblog/comment! I always love reviews!

Throughout Felicity’s week of isolation, Oliver got used to the strange questions that she would ask during random points in the day. Felicity would periodically open the door and ask Oliver a question about his life.

“Oliver?”

“Yes, Miss Smoak?” 

“What’s your favorite color?”

“Green. And yours?”

“Purple.”

The door would close once again, and Oliver would stand in silence, trying to keep his smirk hidden. He felt happy whenever Felicity spoke to him, especially because the longer he worked for her, the more she began to see him as a person, too. His fondness for Felicity had grown, almost at an alarming rate. He would protect Felicity as best he could. For his whole life, if that’s what it took. 

On her part, Felicity enjoyed talking to Oliver. Since she obviously couldn’t talk to him much during his work hours at the house, she did what she could to learn more about him. He liked the color green, he was twenty six, he had a sister, he had an odd love of Chinese folklore, and he had been overseas for five years. And yet each little piece of information Felicity discovered about Oliver made her want to know more. It was an odd sort of friendship, but a friendship nonetheless.

It was near the end of the week when things began to change. Felicity had been sleeping when she heard the small shouts from Oliver’s room. The walls between them were thin enough that she could hear him crying out in his sleep.

She slid out of bed and stepped out of her room. Felicity knocked on Oliver’s door, hoping that would wake him up.

“Oliver?” she asked. 

No response. 

Felicity took a deep breath and entered Oliver’s room. Sure enough, Oliver twitched in his sleep, beads of sweat forming on his bare chest and on his forehead. Felicity tried not to look at his chest. His brow wrinkled close together in pain and fear, and Felicity could hear murmurs of “no!” 

“Oliver!” she said. “Oliver wake up!” Felicity sat down next to him on the bed. “It’s just a dream.”

Oliver bolted upright, panting and gasping for breath. His eyes focused in on his surroundings, and he finally noticed Felicity sitting next to him.

“Miss Smoak? What are you doing here?”

“I heard you. You sounded like you were in pain, and I thought I’d help wake you up, or at least try to make it stop,” she replied. 

Oliver lifted his knees up as he sat up a little taller. “You shouldn’t have come here,” he said.

“But...you’re my friend, Oliver. You’re one of the few people in this world who actually sees me as a person. Let me return the favor,” said Felicity, putting her hand on top of his.

Oliver’s skin tingled wherever Felicity touched it. Friend. That was a nice change from what she had said before. “It’s my job to protect you and to be aloof while doing it.”

“Let me protect you for once, in this way that I can.” 

“Why do you care?” asked Oliver. The question wasn’t a challenge. Oliver had asked it in genuine curiosity. 

Felicity paused a moment. “Because...I care about you.” Felicity felt like the words coming out of her mouth would choke her or when they entered the air they would be turned and twisted into something else. “I like having you around, Oliver, and not just because you make me feel safe.” 

When Oliver didn’t say anything, Felicity moved back from Oliver. “I should just go then.”

“Stay.”

The single word surprised Felicity. It rang in her head and down her spine. “Is that what you want?”

Oliver smiled, took her hand in his and gently pulled her closer. “Do you want to stay?”

Felicity nodded, a shy smile creeping onto her lips. “Yes.” She laid down next to Oliver and could feel his warmth. Oliver laced his fingers through hers and Felicity couldn’t help but smile. 

Oliver’s eyes flickered to her lips, and he briefly thought about kissing her. He desperately wanted to, but that would violate too many of the boundaries that had to be set up between bodyguard and client. But damn, she was amazing. 

“Felicity?” asked Oliver as he closed his eyes.

“Mm?” she sounded half asleep already.

“You know you can’t fix me and my PTSD, right?” he asked. “It doesn’t work like that.”

“I know. I did my research on it. I know I couldn’t even if I wanted to,” she answered with a yawn.

“Good.”

“Oliver?” ventured Felicity.

“Yeah?” 

“You know you can’t fix the problems I have with my dad, right?” she asked.

Oliver chuckled. “I’m not even touching that one. My job is to protect you, though, even if it means that I’m protecting you from your own father.” He knew enough about bad fathers to know that it was an issue that wasn’t fixed by someone being nice. 

“Thanks. Night Oliver.”

“Goodnight Miss Smoak.”


	6. Oliver's Conundrum

Felicity woke up and panicked. Not because she was laying next to Oliver, an incredibly nice feeling if she was really honest with herself, but because of the implications that would spread if she was caught exiting the bodyguard’s bedroom. 

“Oliver!” she whispered loudly. 

Oliver was already awake and trying not to disturb Felicity. He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply wanting nothing more than to hold her tight and run his hands all over her...Oliver stopped mid-thought, realizing that Felicity was still very close and might notice if…

He thought of something else to distract him from Felicity’s nearness.

“Yes Miss Smoak?” he said, sitting up, keeping careful tabs on how his body was responding to Felicity. Not that he could help it very much. She was stunning.

“What are we going to do?” she asked. “I’m in your room. If I got caught...there could be implications.” 

Oliver thought for a moment. “I can exit the room and stand guard outside; it’s my job anyway. I’ll let you know when it’s safe to come out and go back into your room. I’ll knock on the door to let you know it’s safe. Give me a moment to change.”

Felicity sat on the bed and watched as Oliver got out of bed and went over to the dresser. He had only been wearing a pair of boxers to bed and good lord his abs were beautiful. No, not beautiful. He was art. She couldn’t stop staring at him as he put on his pants first and then his button up shirt. What she wouldn’t give to get her hands all over those gorgeous abs of his. No, not now. Felicity could not be thinking about that right now. 

“I’ll alert you when it’s safe, Miss Smoak,” he said, opening the door.

“Oliver? Call me Felicity,” she said.

“If you insist,” he said. “Felicity.” The word felt good on his tongue. He smiled and Felicity knew she was in trouble.

Several minutes later, Oliver knocked on the door and Felicity slowly snuck out and then back into her own room. That was close. Felicity would have to be extra careful around Oliver. Especially around Oliver and her father. She had no intentions of showing anyone how she truly felt, an unfortunate thing considering the fact that Oliver had become more and more privy to her inner thoughts. But this couldn’t happen. Not here, not now. Felicity always kept her inner world private, and everything had to stay that way. If only it were that easy with Oliver. 

Oliver on the other hand, felt guilty. Guilty for feeling the way he did about Felicity, something that could potentially compromise his position. He wouldn’t do anything to harm Felicity. Felicity. He smiled just thinking about her. He considered resigning from his position. He could get a good recommendation and find a job somewhere else, somewhere where he wasn’t emotionally compromised by his client. It was something he desperately needed to think over.

 

When Oliver had his day off the next day, he headed over to Diggle’s apartment. 

“Hey Oliver!” said Diggle. He grinned at his old friend and welcomed him into his home. “How’s the job?” Diggle went to the fridge and pulled out two beers, one for him and one for Oliver.

Oliver sighed and sat down on Diggle’s couch. Diggle tossed him a beer and he caught. “I think I need to resign,” he said.

Diggle frowned and shook his head. “Oliver I called in quite a few favors to get you that job. You’re not resigning.”

“I may have to,” said Oliver. He took a sip of his beer as he flipped on the tv and turned it to the football game. 

“Oliver, what happened?” 

Oliver paused and looked at his beer. “It’s Felicity.” He really really didn’t want to tell Diggle about the two of them sleeping together.

“What about her?” asked Diggle. “You’re assigned to protect her, and if you’re getting along there should be no problem. I didn’t think she’d be too demanding.”

“She isn’t.”

“Then what’s the problem?” asked Diggle, scared that he already knew the answer to it. He clenched his fists in anticipation of the answer.

“I like her. She’s gorgeous and surprisingly nice and when we slept together–”

“You slept together!” Diggle was angry now. “Oliver, that’s the first rule of being a bodyguard. Don’t sleep with your client.”

“I know that, Dig! That’s why I think I should resign. And the sleeping together...it was platonic. It happened after I had a nightmare. She stayed to comfort me and...well...we fell asleep together.”

“I don’t think you need to resign, Oliver,” said Diggle, shaking his head at his friend.

Oliver looked at his friend, confused. “I didn’t expect you to tell me that.”

Diggle sighed and patted Oliver on the shoulder. “I know. But I think this job is good for you. Just...for the love of God, don’t sleep with her again. Don’t be stupid, Oliver. This kind of thing isn’t unheard of, but you’re smart enough not to screw it up.”

Oliver chuckled. “You, my friend give me way too much credit. I’ll consider it. I may still end up resigning for my own sanity, though.”

Diggle shrugged, attention turning back to the TV. “Fair enough.”

With that, the conversation was done and the two of them focused on watching football and drinking beer together. Oliver was thankful for the day off, but felt more confused than ever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So what do you think, should Oliver quit?


	7. The Best Things Happen While You're Dancing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some of you may notice that there are certain similarities this chapter has with a scene from The Flash. I swear this is entirely coincidental, and to be fair I wrote this first. Anyway, thank you for all of your support and reviews! This story has been so much fun to work on, and with Stuck in the Suburbs ending, that will give me more time to focus on this fic. Enjoy!

When Oliver returned to work the next day, he found everyone preparing for a benefit. He took the needed time to go ahead and scan out all of the entrances, exits, and escape routes from the building where the benefit was being held. Afterward, he once more took his place outside of Felicity’s door.

Felicity peeked out of her room. “Um, Oliver?” she asked nervously. Her hair was down and curled into neat waves, waves that spilled out onto her shoulders, waves that seemed to glow in the light. 

“Yes Felicity?”

“Would you mind zipping me up the rest of the way?” she asked. 

Oliver stepped inside her room as she turned around, her back almost fully exposed before him, her black bra strap showing. Oliver’s heart pounded as he fumbled for her zipper near the small of her back. He zipped her up, eyes lingering over her back. The zipper ended just above her strap, and Oliver took a step back when he finished. Felicity turned around and it took everything in him not to let his jaw drop.

Felicity wore a red dress with a neckline that was just a few inches short of plunging, fabric gathered around the middle to highlight her curves. She looked incredible. 

“What do you think?” she asked. She could see the awe Oliver’s eyes, and Felicity tried not to blush.

“You look...perfect. I think I’m going to have to be extra vigilant tonight in making sure that no sleazy politician tries to cheat on his wife with you,” said Oliver. He could feel the words foolishly tumbling out of his mouth.

“Feel free. But I can guarantee you that if anyone tries to feel me up that I don’t want, I will punch them in the face. I did take a self defense class when I went to college,” said Felicity. She pursed her lips together as she reapplied her lipstick.

Oliver nodded, impressed. “I fully believe you can take care of yourself, Felicity.”

Felicity huffed. “That’s a first in my life.”

Oliver put an arm on her shoulder and gave it a light squeeze. Felicity turned around to look him in the eye, her demeanor softening. 

“If you ever need backup, you know where to find me.” Oliver let his arm drop from Felicity’s shoulder. “I’ll go get the car.” With that, Oliver left.

Felicity shook her head, trying to shake off the feeling it gave her whenever Oliver touched her. She tried not to think about how gently he touched her in spite of his toughness. She tried not to think about how her skin tingled any time he was even near her. She tried to forget exactly where his hand had touched her shoulder and the imprint it left on her mind. Felicity knew it was a bad idea to fall in love with her bodyguard. But every time she tried to forget Oliver, he came back and left an even greater impression. 

The two of them didn’t speak all the way to the benefit. Felicity sat and stared out the window, trying not to think about Oliver. Oliver, likewise, drove and tried not to think about Felicity who sat behind him. He once more seriously considered resigning. If he couldn’t be professional at his job, why was he still there?

When they arrived at the benefit, people had already begun dancing and drinking and eating. Oliver took his place on the edge of all the action while Felicity began to mingle and dance. It was moments like this that Oliver was glad his job meant watching over Felicity. 

It was near the end of the benefit when everyone had had a bit to drink and things were winding down that Felicity rushed over to Oliver, her cheeks flushed and a bright grin on her face. She took a hold of his hands and started dragging him toward the dance floor.

“Oliver come dance with me!” she exclaimed. 

“Felicity, I don’t dance,” replied Oliver, trying to maintain his position. “I don’t think this is a smart idea.”

Felicity pouted, pursing her lips together. “Please Oliver? What better way to keep an eye on me than dancing with me?”

Oliver scowled. He was a sucker for that look. He also wouldn’t mind being that close to Felicity. “If you insist.”

The two of them went to the dance floor and began to dance, Oliver’s arm around Felicity’s waist and her hand on his shoulder. He pulled her close as they danced, hopefully no more than the dance required. 

“Hey, you’re a pretty good dancer!” said Felicity as the two of them glided between various couples and managed not to trip over each other. “And you said you couldn’t dance.”

“I just said I didn’t dance,” said Oliver, smiling. He gazed at Felicity, who gazed back. They danced in silence for a while until Oliver whispered, “You’re beautiful, Felicity.”

“So are you. So very hot.” It took Felicity a moment to realize what she had said. “Wait did I just say that out loud?”

Oliver laughed. “How much have you had to drink tonight Felicity?”

Felicity thought for a moment, her expression one that Oliver hadn’t seen before as she thought back. “Not too much? But enough to make me a little bit more fun.” She leaned in close as she said that, and Oliver’s heart beat faster.

“Maybe we should get you home, Miss Smoak,” teased Oliver. 

“Not before you twirl me!” said Felicity, who quickly let go of him.

Oliver tried his best to twirl her before either of them tripped. She’d moved a little too quickly for him and when they tried to return to their original position, Felicity tripped and fell into Oliver, who swiftly caught her. They stopped dancing as Oliver helped her stand upright. 

Felicity blinked rapidly. “Twirling was a bad idea. I feel sick.” 

Oliver put a hand on her shoulder to help steady her. “Come on, let’s get you home.”

The two of them left the benefit. Felicity fell asleep in the car on the way back. Not surprising. Wine always made her sleepy. When they arrived back at the house, Oliver woke her up and helped her to her room. Felicity laid down in her bed, still in her dress. She tugged on Oliver’s hand as he tried to leave.

“Stay,” she said softly.

“Felicity, I can’t.”

“Stay,” she whispered. “Please.”

Oliver kissed her on the forehead. “Not tonight, Felicity.” He left the room with his inner battle raging on, no end in sight.


	8. The Picnic

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Valentine's Day everyone! Here's an early treat, short but sweet. :)

The next day made matters worse. Mr. Smoak pulled him aside near the end of Oliver’s shift.

“Mr. Queen, may I ask you a question,” said Mr. Smoak. It wasn’t a question.

“Yes, Mr. Smoak.”

Mr. Smoak tried his best to look intimidating, and although he was a shorter man, his demeanor successfully made Oliver worried. “What exactly are you doing with my daughter?”

“Protecting her, sir,” answered Oliver.

Mr. Smoak fumed. “Protecting her? Then why were you holding her so close last night at the benefit? Do you know how much of a PR nightmare it will be? Stay away from my daughter, or you’ll be out of a job. That is all.” Mr. Smoak stormed off, and Oliver frowned. In his mind, that settled it. He had to resign. 

It was several days later when Felicity exited her room wearing a pair of high waisted denim shorts, a red and white striped tanktop, and a pair of sandals. Oliver couldn’t help but look at her long, beautiful legs. He didn’t say anything for fear of saying something foolish. 

“Oliver, I’ve decided that I want to go on a picnic today. It is far too nice a day to sit inside and do nothing. And because I want to go out, I need a bodyguard. And you’re on duty right now,” she demanded. 

Oliver frowned. “I will go alert your father to our departure.”

“Oliver?”

“Yes Miss Smoak?”

“Tell him I’m going with Iris and Caitlin,” she said.

Oliver nodded. “As you wish.”

“I’ll get the picnic basket ready then!” said Felicity with a grin. She flounced all the way down to the kitchen, and Oliver left to go find Mr. Smoak, or at least one of the other bodyguards. He wasn’t too keen on telling Mr. Smoak he was going out with his daughter, even if it was just to protect her. But her questionable claim about going with Iris and Caitlin? That concerned him.

Felicity guided Oliver through the city and the suburbs and to the lake Oliver was fairly certain was privately owned by the Smoak family. They didn’t pick up Iris or Caitlin, which wasn’t surprising. It was a beautiful area, with a lake and a wide, grassy area dotted by trees and a hill. Cicadas hummed in the background as the sun beat down on the two of them. Felicity had set out a blanket and rested on it, sunglasses on her face, while Oliver leaned against the tree, simply watching and enjoying the view.

“Oliver, come eat with me! I brought enough for both of us,” said Felicity, beckoning for Oliver to join her. 

Oliver did and sat silently next to Felicity while she pulled out two sandwiches, some fruit, and a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon. Felicity opened the wine and poured a glass for both of them. 

Oliver took his. He hesitated. A knot of worry formed in his stomach. He wanted to be here, with her, but at the same time being so close to her was a risk for the both of them. “Felicity, I think I should resign from my position,” he said quickly. 

Felicity paused mid sip. “Why?” she demanded.

Oliver shrugged. “I think right now it would be best for me and my attempts at creating a new civilian life.” He tried to keep his composure. It proved to be a difficult task, however, as Felicity began to grow visibly upset. He didn’t want to hurt her. That was the last thing he wanted, and that was why he thought he should leave. 

“I don’t understand,” said Felicity. “You’re one of the most valuable members on the security team, and goodness knows that you’ve kept me out of trouble numerous time, which I know my father appreciates.”

“It’s complicated, Felicity.”

“Complicated?” she demanded. “How is it complicated?”

Oliver suddenly cupped her face in his hands and kissed Felicity softly and tenderly, his warm lips moving gently over hers. 

After the initial shock of being kissed by Oliver, Felicity had closed her eyes and kissed him back. She opened her eyes slightly as Oliver pulled away. She blinked slowly, feeling slightly breathless at the kiss. 

“Complicated,” said Oliver, his face still inches from hers, hands hovering over her cheeks. He closed his eyes, frustrated at himself. 

Felicity shook her head. “I don’t want you to leave, Oliver,” she said. “Please don’t.”

“Why not?” asked Oliver.

Felicity closed the remaining gap between them and pressed her lips against Oliver’s, hot and desperate for his touch. Oliver could immediately feel himself responding, reciprocating the kiss and pulling Felicity close as she wrapped her arms around him. 

“Oh,” said Oliver once they separated. 

Felicity blushed and looked down at her food. “That’s why.” 

The two of them sat there in silence, picking at their food and sipping the wine. Both were eager to kiss the other again. 

“This...is a date, isn’t it.” It wasn’t a question. Oliver had wondered about this picnic beforehand, and well, the kissing sort of made it obvious.

“It is,” answered Felicity. “I apologize if it was deceitful in any way. I just wanted to spend some time with you. Alone. Away from all the mess back at the house or even in the apartment. I never intended for you to...or us to…” Felicity babbled, and when Oliver touched her hand, she stopped.

He smiled broadly, his eyes lighting up with the joy that he had at being near her. “It’s perfect, Felicity.” 

“What do we do now?” she asked, eyes wide and confused. 

Oliver should his head, chuckling softly. “I don’t know.” He paused. “Your father threatened me. He questioned me about the nature of our relationship, threatened to fire me.”

Felicity’s face visibly saddened as she listened. “But I don’t care what my father says. I want to be with you, Oliver. You’re one of the few people who sees me as I am and actually cares about me. I’m happier when I’m with you. I don’t care what happens I just–”

Oliver cut off her babbling with a kiss. It was a fuller and deeper kiss this time, and Felicity didn’t hesitate to kiss him back. Oliver wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close, her chest fully pressed against his, his hands roaming around her back. Felicity ran her fingers through his hair and down his back. 

Oliver stopped momentarily, breathing heavily. “Felicity, we can figure all of this out later, but right now I really want to make out with you.”

Felicity smiled a sultry grin, eyes narrowed and filled with lust. “Then stop talking and put those lips to better use.” 

With that, Oliver pressed his lips against hers once more as they let themselves forget about the problems this would cause. They forgot about the food and the wine. There would be time for that later. Now it was time for them.


	9. Together and Apart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm taking a hiatus from Tumblr, so if you're looking for me on there, I've only got a queue set up. I'll still try to update here though on a semi-regular basis. A lot happens in this chapter, and this is where the action starts to pick up. I hope you guys enjoy it!

It was nearly an hour later when the two of them finally stopped. They had long since decided against doing anything more than kissing for a number of reasons, but that certainly didn’t mean that they couldn’t enjoy themselves with wandering hands and lips and tongue. Felicity had discovered that Oliver was a damn good kisser. Oliver couldn’t seem to get enough of her. The only reason they stopped when they did was because Felicity’s stomach began to growl and they realized that neither of them had really eaten much at all that day. The two of them returned to the wine and the food. 

“So what do we do?” asked Oliver, taking a bit of his sandwich. 

Felicity shrugged. “Keep it a secret. Goodness knows you and I disappear so much as it is that it’s a wonder rumors haven’t already spread.”

“I guess that’s all we can do for now. Your father would have me fired if he knew that I just stuck my tongue down his daughter’s throat,” said Oliver.

Felicity grinned, happily sipping her wine. “And you were quite good at it too, I might add.” She only just decided against straddling him and kissing him senseless once again.

Oliver looked proud of himself. “Thank you. You weren’t bad yourself.” He gave her a wink, and Felicity couldn’t help but giggle. “But I do think it would be smarter to keep it a secret,” he said. 

“I agree.” Felicity nodded her head in agreement. “It’s not like it will change much of what we do. We’ll just have to be careful not to let anyone in on our secret.”

“My beautiful secret,” said Oliver, kissing Felicity on the forehead. The two of them stayed curled up together under the sun for some time, resting in the other’s presence. 

Eventually, however, they had to return to their lives, Oliver as Felicity’s solemn bodyguard, and Felicity as the cold-hearted daughter of the mayoral frontrunner. They soon returned to the Smoak mansion and Felicity found herself once again under the suspicious eye of her father, more nervous than ever this time. 

The two of them found it challenging to keep their secret. Even just a casual touch between them could tip someone off. It didn’t help that he wanted to touch her whenever he could. Oliver was certain that Mr. Smoak suspected. Certainly it hadn’t escaped the attention of the other bodyguards. 

Half of the trouble was that every time Oliver even looked at Felicity, he couldn’t help but smile. No, she wasn’t his entire world or his entire hope and light. But Felicity certainly became a large part of the hope and light Oliver now found in life. 

The other half of the problem was the fact that every time Felicity looked at Oliver she couldn’t help but smile. Every time Oliver looked at her, Felicity melted a little bit inside. Felicity had fallen in love before, but never quite like this. It thrilled her; the secretive nature on top of the new feelings. Felicity was used to keeping secrets, but Oliver was, by far, her favorite secret. 

The two of them managed to keep their secret, and they kept everything at a careful and peaceful balance for quite some time. Between Oliver’s sleeplessness and Felicity’s consistent sneaking off to various places, the two of them found plenty of time to be with alone together and to get in trouble. But on the day Mr. Smoak held one of his legendary campaign parties, everything changed. He had been falling behind in the polls and hoped this benefit would bring him some better numbers. 

The champagne had been opened, the balloons floated around, and people danced. It was most likely one of Mr. Smoak’s greatest benefits; everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves.

Felicity had invited Oliver to dance again, and of course he said yes. As they danced and laughed together they found it very hard to keep their hands off one another. They tried their best to behave normally, really, they did. But a touch of the hand to the shoulder, a brushing of hair back from the face, a dance, kept the two of them working hard not to just decide to ditch the party and spend the night together. Actually, that wasn’t entirely out of the question. If Felicity gave Oliver that look one more time he might seriously just whisk her out of here and make her scream all night long. He’d been dying to do that for a while now, and if tonight proved opportune, he knew neither of them would hesitate. There were perks to Felicity’s secret apartment. 

Suddenly the lights in the building went out, and the party instantly came to a standstill. Everyone gasped and murmured in surprise. Smoke bombs went off, obscuring the room. Several people screamed as men in yellow and black masks entered the room, guns in hand.

“Oliver!” shouted Felicity, holding onto his hand. She coughed, the smoke filling her lungs with a noxious taste. Her eyes stung, and she wished she had worn her glasses that night.

“Felicity, stay close!” said Oliver, pulling Felicity behind him. He refused to let go of her. His eyes, peering through the smoke, scanned the room. He started to move the two of them out of the room, hoping to get her somewhere safe.

Somewhere in the room, a gunshot went off up into the air, a flash of orange coming from the barrel of the gun. 

“We don’t want to hurt anyone,” said a voice. Whoever had spoken had what sounded like an Australian accent. People continued muttering in fear as the masked men stormed through the room. 

Oliver glanced back at Felicity, whose blue eyes were open wide with fear. Oliver gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “Hey,” he whispered. “It’s gonna be okay.”

“Oliver look out!” she screeched. 

One of the masked men came at Oliver from out of the smoke without warning, landing a hard blow to his head. Oliver’s head spun at the contact. He could feel Felicity’s fingers slipping from his own. He watched as one of the masked man grabbed Felicity, an arm around her waist and a hand over her mouth, his consciousness fading fast. He attempted to fight of unconsciousness and the man who had attacked him to no avail. 

“Felicity!” he shouted. The masked man landed another punch to his face, Oliver’s head hitting the ground hard this time. 

Tears streamed down Felicity’s face as she kicked and struggled to get free, to get back to Oliver. It was useless. Felicity disappeared into the smoke, their attackers disappearing quickly as well. 

She was gone. He had failed. 

Oliver lost consciousness.


	10. When the Smoke Clears

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here you go, guys. The action doesn't really stop from here on out. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed/reblogged. Your reviews make me smile! I hope y'all enjoy the chapter!

Oliver woke up in a panic. The smoke had cleared, and everyone else at the party seemed to be in good condition. 

“Felicity!”

He hadn’t meant to shout. He was there, he should have saved her. He should have–no, could have–saved her. It was his job, it was his goal and he failed. He failed her father. Most importantly, he had failed her. 

“She’s gone,” said Mr. Smoak, a sorrowful, grim look on his face. His lip quivered, exposing the degree of his grief, something unusual for politicians like Mr. Smoak. His blue eyes, much like Felicity’s, welled up with tears. He took the stage once more. 

“Everyone,” he began. “I request that you all leave for the time being. I will make an official statement about the night tomorrow,” he said. Mr. Smoak left the stage, and everyone seemed to just stare at him in shock before gathering their things and leaving. Even the journalists who had been there left. 

Mr. Smoak’s grief quickly turned to anger when he spotted Oliver. “You,” he growled. “You could have stopped them.” He approached Oliver with a fire in his eyes that Oliver had never seen before. 

“I know. They ambushed me while I couldn't see; took me by surprise. I failed her.” Oliver’s voice cracked as he spoke. This wasn’t supposed to happen.

“You failed me. You failed the city, boy. I gave you one job, and you can’t do your job when it matters most,” snarled Felicity’s father. 

“I’ll get her back. I’m going after her and I will save her, no matter the cost,” said Oliver, his voice low and determined. 

Mr. Smoak stepped up to Oliver so that they were toe-to-toe. Oliver was taller than Mr. Smoak, but the mayoral candidate carried a presence with him that made him seem taller. “Now you listen close, Mr. Queen. I don’t want you anywhere near my daughter. I should have separated the two of you when I had a chance. Don't think I haven't seen the way you look at her. You go after her and you’re fired. Let me and my team handle this.”

Oliver took a deep breath and walked away without another word.

“Where are you going?” demanded Mr. Smoak, his face redder than ever.

“To find Felicity,” said Oliver without looking back. Felicity was easily worth more to him than his job.

“You’re fired!” shouted the candidate. 

Oliver turned around. “If finding and returning your daughter is what gets me fired, then so be it. I’m going out to save Felicity if it’s the last thing I do.”

\--

Somewhere in the midst of her kidnapping Felicity had been blindfolded. It was disorienting: the smell of smoke, the blindfold, the hands that roughly tied her hands together and dumped her in the back of a car. Her heart thudded as the car drove off and Felicity was tossed about in the backseat. She was alone back there; that much she knew. 

“Where are you taking me?” she asked, her voice thin and shaking with fear.

Silence. 

“What do you want from me?” 

A beat.

Then,

“It’s not you we want something from; it’s your father,” said a deep voice. The same voice that had spoken inside the building. 

Felicity exhaled, her breathing still shallow from fear. But if they wanted something from her father, odds were that her chances of staying alive were greater, at least until contact with her father was made. Felicity could figure a way out of this. She knew she could. She just had to stay calm and figure out a way to use her phone. 

In that moment, Felicity was very thankful for the fact that she had stuck her cell phone in her bra. No one had buckled her in, and the driver wasn’t exactly gentle with the car. When the car turned, she intentionally let herself fall over onto her stomach and pulled out her phone. She struggled to move her blindfold as she worked with her phone. If she couldn’t escape, then she’d at least make it possible for someone, for Oliver, to find her. Hopefully they wouldn’t search her. Hopefully they wouldn’t catch her doing this. She had to find a way to get herself out of this situation, awful as it was. 

Long ago she’d set up a program between her phone and her computer in the apartment in case something like this would happen. At the time she thought herself paranoid after the case with the stalker was resolved. She never thought she’d have to use it. She never wanted to.

She lifter her blindfold enough to glimpse her phone, held close to her chest. Felicity pressed a few buttons on her phone and stuck it back into her bra, struggling against the restraints to make it less obvious that she had a phone down her dress. Would they kill her if they caught her?

Felicity let herself stay on the floor as they kept driving. No one pulled her up. “Find me,” she whispered. The car stopped and a pair of strong hands drug her from the car. Felicity deeply hoped that her phone would stay in its place.

Someone set her on a chair and tied her to it before removing the blindfold. She found a man with an eyepatch standing before her.

“I’m not supposed to hurt you, Miss Smoak,” he said. “Otherwise I don’t get paid. So if you behave, I won’t have to hurt you.” He picked up a small, handheld video camera and pointed it at her. 

“Say hello to daddy,” the man said.

“You bastard,” growled Felicity.

Her captor immediately slapped her before saying, “If both you and your father play along, no one will get hurt.” The man proceeded to make a monetary demand.

Felicity couldn’t help it. She cried, trying not to let her tears get the better of her.

The man grinned. “How much is your daughter’s life worth to you?” he asked, pointing a knife at Felicity’s throat. Felicity whimpered, and he cut off the video feed. Her safety here wouldn't last forever. 

Oliver could only watch in horror as the video broadcast around the city. He winced as Felicity’s kidnapper slapped her, held the knife to her throat. He quickly pulled out his phone and dialed a number.

He was going to find Felicity. His mission started now.


	11. Retrieval

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm leaving this weekend for a class trip to Chicago, so I figured I'd leave you all with an update. I wish this chapter was a little happier, but don't worry, I think you'll find that chapter 12 will be very rewarding. :) It's a bit short, but a necessary chapter. I hope everyone is surviving after last night's episode of Arrow!

Oliver’s phone rang shortly after the video broadcast. It was Diggle.

“Oliver, are you okay?” he asked. “Tell me what happened.”

“They took her,” he said. “We were at the benefit...I was ambushed and they took her. Mr. Smoak fired me. I have to find her and rescue her, Diggle. I need to do this.” 

“I’ll be right over, Oliver. I’ll help you however I can.”

Sure enough, Diggle arrived at Oliver’s house a short while later. He knew Oliver was a wreck by the way his eyes glazed over, intent on something that wasn’t there.

“Breathe, Oliver, we’re going to find her,” he said, knowing from a single glance that Oliver needed the reminder to breathe. 

“I need to find her, Diggle.” Oliver sat and stared blankly at the wall, trying to contain all of his emotion, compartmentalizing it so he could focus on the mission.

“So where do we start?” 

Oliver looked up at Diggle. “You’re not going to talk me down or try and make me give you an explanation?”

Diggle shook his head. “Nope. You need this, if only for your own sake. She’s done you good, hasn’t she?”

Oliver nodded silently.

“So then let’s find her. You know her better than anyone. Where do we start?”

Oliver sighed, immensely thankful for his best friend. “Her apartment. She had a secret apartment in the Glades. If she’s going to lead us to her location, it will be through there. It’s the best I’ve got for now.”

Diggle nodded. “Show me where.”

Oliver had to burst through the door to get inside. He made a mental note to buy Felicity new locks when this was done. He owed her that much. But if this worked, it was worth it. He immediately scanned the room, completely alert. They noticed the computer beeping and walked over. Oliver shook his head, slightly unsure of what to do with the computer.

“It’s a map,” said Diggle. He pointed at the screen. “There. She must have sent out a signal.” A little red dot flashed, and Oliver wrote down the location. 

“Let’s go. I want her safe and home. Grab your gun. We’re going after Felicity.”  
Diggle nodded, and the two of them left the apartment, headed deeper into the Glades. They had a mission to accomplish. They made their way over to the building where the signal from Felicity’s phone came from and made plans to enter, get in, and get out with Felicity. It was time.

\--

Felicity deeply hoped that someone would come for her soon. Hopefully Oliver. The man in the eyepatch, Slade she found out, sat there, taunting her.

“I’m not supposed to hurt you, but really, my knives haven’t seen any action recently. I wouldn’t mind cutting a smile onto that pretty face of yours.” Slade teasingly put the flat end of the blade against her cheek. 

Felicity couldn’t help but shake in fear, whimpering softly. She just wanted this to end. She wanted to be home and safe. She wanted Oliver. 

“That’s enough, Slade,” said a voice from above. Far in the rafters somewhere, another man stood tall. The shadows concealed his face, but Felicity swore she knew that voice from somewhere.

Slade smirked. “Nothing but a bit of fun.”

“If you hurt her, we don’t get paid. If we want everything to go as planned, we need to keep her relatively unharmed.”

Everything to go as planned? What was happening?

The doors suddenly burst open and several men with guns entered the room. “Freeze!” shouted one.

Felicity looked up quickly. 

“Oliver?”

But it wasn’t him. What the hell was going on? How did someone else find her this quickly? The whole thing made no sense. She watched as Slade and his army of black and yellow masked men fought with the intruders, as the man in the rafter stood and watched.

Something was very wrong.


	12. Safe

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the smut chapter.

Oliver entered the building only to find that there were other men there rescuing Felicity. He blinked. That shouldn’t have been possible. It had been less than a day. He’d had help from Felicity herself. How the hell had someone else gotten there?

Oliver looked around as everyone else began fighting. He raced over to Felicity.

“It’s okay, I’m here,” he said softly, untying her from the chair.

Her entire face lit up with joy, and Oliver was glad to see her smile. “Oliver!” She threw her arms around him, but pulled away quickly so they could run.

“Come on, let’s go!” he said, grabbing her hand. He pressed his hand to his comm. “Digg, I got her. Let’s go.”

The three of them met up outside the warehouse and got in Diggle’s car. He drove away quickly, knowing that soon the media would be all over this. The consequences of what had happened to Felicity would come crashing down, but not just yet. This moment was theirs.

Oliver sat in the back with Felicity, looking her over. “Are you okay? Did they hurt you?”

Felicity nodded. “Except for that one slap, I’m relatively unharmed. A little shaken up, but mostly okay.” 

Oliver pulled her in close, his hand running through her hair, arms tight around her. “I was so worried about you,” he whispered. He kissed her head softly, and Felicity let herself lean onto him.

“Diggle, was it?” she asked. “Could you take us to my apartment? I’m assuming Oliver told you about it.”

“Sure thing,” he said, turning off the main road. He glanced back at Oliver, giving him that ‘we’ll talk later’ look. Oliver had every intention of holding to that. But right now his main concern was Felicity. 

He held onto her close as they left the car, Diggle side eyeing them heavily. Oliver just shrugged. Consequences be damned. They needed each other tonight.

They entered the apartment and Felicity examined the locks. They weren’t in too bad of a condition, but she definitely needed new ones. Oliver refused to let go of her hand.

“Are you okay, Felicity?” he asked, giving her hand a gentle squeeze.

Felicity nodded. “I really just want to shower and rest. I feel disgusting and just drained.” She looked up at Oliver. “Thank you. For saving me. I don’t know who those other people were, but I’m glad it was you who saved me. I can’t think of anyone else I’d rather have with me tonight.”

Oliver touched her face gently. “Go shower. I’ll be here. I’m not leaving you behind.” 

Felicity smiled, and then left to go shower. Oliver waited for her while she showered. Almost a half an hour she came back, hair wet, clothed in a pair of pajama pants and a t-shirt. 

“You know we should really go back,” she said, walking up to Oliver. 

Oliver ran his fingers through her hair. He loved her hair. He loved everything about her. “I know.”

She kept walking toward him, wrapping her arms around his waist. “There will be consequences for this,” Felicity said softly, looking up at him.

Oliver smiled gently, his eyes darkening with lust, just as hers were doing. “Consequences be damned. I was so worried about you.” He pulled her close and just held her for a while.

“The reporters will go crazy trying to figure out where we are,” she said playfully.

Oliver kissed her temple and let his kisses trail down to her neck. “Fuck the reporters,” he muttered in between kisses.

“I’d rather you fuck me,” she replied, her lips pouty and playful.

Oliver stepped back a moment. “Is that what you want? If it’s too much for you, if you’re too emotionally drained for this, I don’t want you to exhaust yourself–”

Felicity cut him off with a passionate, hungry kiss. It quickly escalated from there as he pulled her close, running his hands all through her hair and down her back, grabbing her ass and pulling her closer to him. 

Felicity pulled her lips away from his slowly. “Read my lips, Oliver. I want you. I want you tonight and I want you now. That’s why I had Diggle bring us here,” she said. “Part of the reason anyway.”

“You’re amazing,” muttered Oliver, pressing his lips to hers once more, his touch hot and strong. 

Felicity could feel his erection against her abdomen as he pulled her closer, if that was even possible. Oliver trailed kisses down her neck, sucking on a particularly sensitive spot, and she couldn’t help but moan.

“Bedroom?” he asked.

“Bedroom.”

Oliver picked Felicity up, and she wrapped her legs around his waist. Still kissing her, holding her up, they somehow made their way into the bedroom without falling down. They’d both wanted this for so long. They’d missed each other so much. Oliver was right; consequences be damned, they needed each other tonight.

Oliver gently laid Felicity down on the bed and got on top of her, eagerly kissing her anywhere he could. Felicity moved her hips underneath him and he moaned. They both sat up for a second, thinking almost the exact same thing. 

“Too many clothes,” said Felicity.

They nodded at each other and Oliver rushed to grab a condom from his wallet as Felicity pulled her shirt off. Oliver got distracted for a moment as he watched her.

“You’re gorgeous,” he said softly, eyes wide with equal parts lust and awe.

Felicity blushed and leaned over to give him a kiss on the cheek. “You need to take off your clothes. Now.” The stern way Felicity said that only served to turn Oliver on more.

“Yet ma’am,” he said, looking Felicity up and down. He set the condom on the nightstand for easy access. They helped rid each other of what little clothing they had left. 

They murmured soft whispers of “I want you so badly” to each other as they kept kissing. Oliver kissed her neck and let his mouth travel down, down, sucking on her breasts, letting his tongue roll over them. Felicity moaned and squirmed underneath him, and Oliver couldn’t help but smile as he continued playing with her breasts. He ran his hands over her hips to cup her warm sex. 

“You’re so wet,” he said, voice low and growly, something Felicity found immensely sexy. Felicity let out a small giggle, nodded excitedly. 

“Tell me exactly how you want it,” he said. “Tonight is all about you.”

“Well first,” began Felicity, trailing her fingers down his chest, enjoying the feeling of his abs beneath her hands. “I want you to eat me out. And then I want you to fuck me so hard I forget my name.”

“Now that I can do,” growled Oliver. He kissed her all over, going down to her thighs. He kissed the tops of them before kissing the inside. Felicity squirmed in expectation. He kissed one thigh, then the other, licking across the inside of her legs slowly and gently. 

“Oliver, Oliver,” exclaimed Felicity, nearly breathless from the pleasure.

“I love finally being able to give you pleasure like this,” he said right before he pressed his lips to her clit and began to lick. Felicity moaned loudly as he continued to use his whole mouth to eat her out.

She nearly lost it when he slipped a finger inside her. And when he thought she was ready, he put another finger inside her and curled his fingers, gliding against her inside walls. Then she really did lose it, coming around his fingers, juices soaking him.

“Oh wow, you’re really amazing at that,” she said, breathless from her first orgasm. She grabbed the condom from where Oliver had set it on the nightstand and opened it up. She grabbed his cock and pumped it up and down a few times before sliding the condom on top of him. Oliver moaned as she did, trying not to come before he was even inside her.

“I cannot wait to be inside you, he whispered, pressing another kiss to her forehead.

Felicity helped position him at her entrance. “Then what are you waiting for?”

Oliver pushed into her and both of them moaned as it happened. 

“It feels really good having you inside me,” she said. 

“It feels really good being inside you,” he replied with a slight chuckle. 

They started moving, setting a slow pace to start, but quickly increasing in speed. They both needed it. Desperately. Felicity made sure he knew that as their bodies kept pounding into each other. 

He threw her legs over his shoulders, and the slight shift in angle made all the difference as it hit just the right spot. She cried out in pleasure as she came once again, Oliver following right behind. He’d been holding back until she came before making sure he found his own release. He wasn’t sure that he would make it, but seeing her unravel beneath him as she closed her eyes in ecstasy made him come inside her. 

After getting rid of the condom, the two of them simply laid there in bed together. Oliver stroked Felicity’s face gently, treasuring every moment he had to look at her face. She looked up at him and smiled.

“That was incredible,” she said, breathless.

Oliver nodded. “You’re incredible.” He pulled her close as they cuddled. “I love you,” he whispered.

Felicity sighed a contented sigh, smiling. “I love you too, Oliver.” 

They fell asleep together holding each other, happy at simply being together. Tomorrow would come. Tomorrow they would deal with reporters and press and never-ending questions about the kidnapping. But tonight, tonight was theirs.

And it was perfect.


	13. Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Wednesday! Have an update! It's a shorter chapter, but sets up so much of what is to come.

Felicity woke slowly to the sunlight pouring down on her face, Oliver’s form lay still, his chest slowly rising and falling. She was glad he was asleep; she knew how little sleep he got on a regular basis, and if this helped, well, she’d be glad to continue helping him sleep. She curled up slightly closer to him, and he shifted, turning over to face her. 

He smiled, and god, Felicity knew she was gone for.

“Good morning beautiful,” he said. “How are you feeling?” Oliver laced his fingers through hers, and Felicity couldn’t help but smile.

“Well, somehow after the emotional trauma of being kidnapped, amazing sex with my boyfriend all night seems to help.” She couldn’t help but grin as he kissed her, slowly and sweetly. 

Oliver held her tighter and she nuzzled her head into his chest, sighing happily. “I love you, Felicity,” he said.

“I love you too, Oliver. I don’t want to go back. I just want to stay here, now, forever.” She intertwined her legs through his, briefly considering another round. 

Oliver kissed the top of her head. “I don’t want to go back either. But we have to.”

Felicity groaned. “I know. But I wish...I just wish this could be our every day. I guess maybe it could be. I could always sleep over in your room, or you in mine. We could work out a system. We can do this. You’re already around me plenty as my bodyguard. As long as we can keep our hands off each other in public, we can totally manage this.”

Oliver coughed awkwardly. “About that whole bodyguard thing,” he started.

“Don’t tell me you actually decided to quit?” she asked, raising an eyebrow and pursing her lips in a way that made Oliver want to kiss them all day long.

“Fired, actually.”

Felicity shot up, the sheets slowly falling from her form. Oliver gulped as he tried to keep his attention on the conversation at hand. “What?” she shrieked. “He can’t do that!”

“But he did,” said Oliver, propping himself up on his elbows. “He already threatened me if I pursued a relationship with you. He fired me when I demanded that I go after you.”

Felicity frowned. “Well now I have to go back and demand you keep your job.”

Oliver touched her hand gently. “Don’t. It will only make the speculation about us worse. We’re already prime for a scandal as it is.”

Felicity kissed him. “I can’t do this without you.”

“And I can’t do this without you. We’ll go back. Maybe we can still work this all out,” he said. “We should get dressed. Everyone will wonder what happened tonight. We need a good explanation for where we’ve been and how you got cleaned up.”

Felicity sighed and threw her legs over the side of the bed, feet dangling right over the carpet. She didn’t want her old life anymore. She wanted this life.

Obligingly, she pulled on a dress shirt and a pair of pants, trying to look semi-decent. She had a nice bruise on her face from Slade. Hopefully that would fade soon. She was sure it would be all over the tabloids tomorrow. 

Oliver called Diggle as Felicity got dressed. He then put his own clothes on and when Diggle arrived to drive them back to Felicity’s house, the three of them sat silently, anxious about the future. A swarm of photographers stood around the house, waiting for the moment Felicity would reappear. Oliver gave her hand a light squeeze. 

“It’s okay. You can do this,” he whispered. 

Felicity smiled and got out of the car, ready to face whatever came. She put her hands in front of her eyes as the cameras flashed in her face, the flashes nearly blinding her. Oliver got out of the car, following close behind, his face stoic as he resumed his role as bodyguard. 

Mr. Smoak came out of the house, looking emotionally compromised as he saw his daughter return. Felicity smiled as he ran to embrace her. That was the money shot. It was the happy reunion between father and daughter. When Felicity pulled back, Mr. Smoak’s attention turned to Oliver as he shook his hand.

“Thank you for bringing my daughter home to me.” He squeezed Oliver’s hand a little too tight, and Oliver felt his stomach churn. He leaned in close in a near embrace, whispering, “You can have your job back. I’d be a fool to fire the hero.”

They three of them went inside, and Oliver couldn’t help but feel that things were still very, very wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So what do you think? Any theories about Felicity's kidnapping? Let me know what you think in the comments!


	14. Truth

Oliver could feel Felicity’s body slipping under the covers next to him as he laid in bed. He turned over to face her and wrapped his arms around her. She smiled as he kissed her forehead.

“Glad you decided to stop by,” he said, pulling her close.

“I can’t sleep,” she replied. “Telling the police about my kidnapping kind of wore me out. Plus, I kind of really like sleeping with you. Funny how that works.”

Oliver chuckled. “What’s on your mind, Felicity?” He stroked her hair back from her face.

Felicity furrowed her brow. “The whole kidnapping business...the rescue...it all felt wrong. I don’t think the police understand. Someone else was there, lurking in the shadows. Not Slade. I’m just...I’m scared, Oliver. I don’t think this is over.” Tears formed in her eyes and Oliver could tell that this wasn’t something she would easily forget. 

Oliver nodded. “I agree. I don’t think I was meant to be there. They rescued you too quickly. No one else should have found you that quickly. I literally had directions from you. I don’t know how anyone else could have gotten to you so soon,” he replied.

Felicity paused and bit her lip. “I want to find who kidnapped me. I want to know who did this to me and why.”

Oliver squeezed her hand gently. “Then let’s get to the bottom of this. Together.”

Felicity grinned and snuggled closer to Oliver. “Thank you.”

They fell asleep together, not worried about what would happen in the morning. It simply felt good to be together.

The next morning, the two of them snuck out again. No one seemed terribly suspicious, or if they were they said nothing. They left the mansion to discuss things with Diggle. He had been there too. As formal special ops, he had a good eye for this sort of thing. They couldn’t do this alone.

“I agree. It is suspicious,” he said as the three of them sat in his living room. “So what are we going to do?”

Felicity shifted in her seat. “I’m going to run traces on Slade, see where he’s been, where he’s going. That may give us a clue. I’d like to find the other man who was there, but I have no idea who he is or where to start.”

“I’d like to talk to some of the other bodyguards, see what they know,” said Oliver.

Diggle nodded. “I’ll do some digging around with the bodyguard network. See if anyone knows anything.” He paused. “How are you doing Felicity?”

“Better. Glad that I have some good people in my life to help support me through this,” she said, smiling softly as she looked at Oliver. 

Diggle tried not to roll his eyes. The two of them were ridiculous and adorable. 

Oliver couldn’t help but stare at Felicity, a look of wonder in his eyes. He’d do anything for her, and she knew it. 

They agreed on the plan. Felicity kept her eye on Slade as promised, and Oliver and Diggle worked to see what they could learn from the other bodyguards. No one seemed willing to surrender any information. 

Even Slade seemed like a dead end. He was your typical gang leader from the Glades, occasionally a gun for hire. Felicity worked hard to trace the money trail back to somewhere tangible. But someone had covered their tracks, bouncing the transaction through various offshore accounts. Not even the IP address could be traced easily. If Felicity wanted information from Slade, it would take a long time.

It wasn’t until the benefit for the Children’s Hospital that they found something new. 

Oliver kept an eye on Felicity as she socialized with various billionaires and couldn’t help but feel jealous. She dazzled, as usual. She stood by her father’s side, the faithful daughter.

“Felicity, I’d like you to meet one of my dear friends and biggest supporters, Malcolm Merlyn,” said Mr. Smoak.

Felicity shook Malcolm’s hand. “Pleased to meet you,” she said with a well rehearsed smile. She could really care less about her father’s friends and benefactors, but it was all a part of the job. 

“Pleased to meet you as well, Miss Smoak. How are you feeling now that you’re back at home?” he asked. “I understand that kidnapping can be quite an ordeal.”

Felicity blinked. That voice. She recognized that voice. “I’m doing much better. Confident in the skills of the police to catch the people who did this,” she replied, trying not to let her voice shake. It couldn’t be.

“Well, I applaud your courage, Miss Smoak. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have other billionaires to go suck up to,” he said with a laugh. He clapped Mr. Smoak on the back as he walked away. 

Felicity quickly found an excuse to talk to Oliver. She rushed to his side, shaking. “Malcolm Merlyn,” she said weakly. “I recognized his voice. He was there. In the warehouse.”

“Are you sure, Felicity?” he asked, trying not to put his hand on her shoulder and look terribly worried.

She nodded quickly. “Is there any way you could get me out of here?” she asked. 

“Go tell your father that you are feeling ill and want to go home. He’ll understand,” he replied, nodded. 

Felicity did, and they were soon on their way to her apartment in the Glades. She sat in the front seat of the car, next to Oliver, her face solemn, her mind somewhere else.

“Hey, you’re gonna be okay,” said Oliver, placing his hand on top of hers.

She looked at him and almost smiled. “Just...hearing his voice takes me back to that day. The terror of being ripped from the one place I felt safe and finding myself manhandled and threatened. I was scared. I am scared. I want this to be over.”

Oliver squeezed her hand. “I know, Felicity. We’ll get to the bottom of it.”

When they arrived, Felicity went straight to the computer and started running her scans. 

“Felicity?” Oliver asked some time later.

“I need to figure this out, Oliver. I need to track my kidnappers down.” 

Oliver didn’t disturb her. Felicity eventually fell asleep at her computer, and Oliver set her down on the couch with a blanket covering her. He soon fell asleep next to her. 

It wasn’t until the wee hours of the morning when they both woke up to a beep from Felicity’s computer. Felicity shot up and adjusted her glasses that weren’t there, finding that Oliver had set them on the coffee table. She grabbed them and headed to the computer to see what her searches had found.

“What did you find, Felicity?” asked Oliver, leaning next to her and peering at the screen.

“I don’t believe it. I found the source of the transaction to both Slade and Merlyn. I can find who paid the money for me to be kidnapped.” She pressed a few buttons on her keyboard. Her face immediately paled.

“Who was it, Felicity?”

She shook her head. “I don’t believe it.”

“Who was it?” he demanded.

Felicity pointed at the screen. “See for yourself.”

Oliver read the name on the screen and it suddenly felt like he had been hit in the chest with a boulder.

It was Anthony Smoak. 

“I’m going to destroy him,” she muttered, her voice shaking. “I’ll destroy his reputation and keep him from ever being mayor. I can’t believe...my own father!” She gasped and quickly covered her mouth. She closed her eyes tightly.

“Felicity?” asked Oliver, touching her arm.

She shook her head and opened her blue eyes, damp with tears. “I need some air.” She got up and moved past Oliver and walked out the door into the cool night air. Oliver quickly followed after her.

“I told you I need some air,” she said. “My own father had me kidnapped. I need time to process that.”

Oliver put his hand on her arm. “I know. And I’m here for you. I’ll help you. Look, my father wasn’t exactly a great guy either. He never had me or my sister kidnapped, but I know what it’s like to hate your father. Wait a while before you pull out all the stops on ending his career, okay?”

Felicity finally turned to him and nodded. “I just don’t understand how he could do this to his own daughter. Maybe that’s why my kidnappers never hurt me.”

Oliver wrapped his arms around her, and she leaned into his embrace. “I’m sorry, Felicity.” They stood there for a moment, comforting each other wordlessly. It was all they could do.

“Let’s go home,” she said. 

They snuck into the house since it was so late and the party had long since been over. They soon fell asleep together, not particularly caring if anyone saw them that night. They still needed each other. And for now, it was enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A lot of you guys called it! I was super impressed! (I shouldn't be surprised. Olicity fandom is super smart tbh.) Now we get to look forward to seeing the fallout to this new bit of information. As always, thanks for reading and supporting me and this fic!


	15. Confrontation: Part One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks to skcolicity for beta-ing this chapter for me! Thanks for all of your support on this story! (Don't forget to review. I live off reviews.)

The next day, they found the whole house celebrating. 

“Congratulations, Felicity!” said one of the maids. “I’m very happy for your father!”

Felicity felt like she couldn’t breathe. Was it already election day? Had the results already come in? 

Felicity’s father entered and embraced her. Felicity tensed as his arms wrapped around her. “Felicity my dear, have you heard the news? I’m officially Mayor of Starling City! Now if you’ll excuse me, I have an acceptance speech to give.”

Oliver and Felicity watched the TV in horror as Mayor Smoak gave his acceptance speech. Oliver held on to Felicity’s arm to keep her steady. 

“As all of you know, it has been an incredibly hard week for me and my family. My daughter was kidnapped and held for ransom in the Glades. She was thankfully returned to me unharmed. Once more this city has proven to me that it is full of good people who are willing to do the right thing. This is why my first act as Mayor is to start the initiative to clean up the Glades. I want to see more economic growth and prosperity for this part of the city. Rebuild from the ground up, so to speak.”

Felicity turned to Oliver. She had stopped listening to his speech. “It was a political ploy. He used me.” She felt nauseous. 

Oliver gently squeezed her hand. “We’ll get justice for you. Don’t worry.”

Felicity looked at him and smiled. “I trust you, Oliver.”

They stood there silently watching the television as the rest of the house bustled around them. It was a painful yet beautiful moment. At least they had each other to get through this.

“I’m going to confront him about this,” whispered Felicity.

Oliver looked at her, his eyes flickering to her lips. “Please be safe.”

Felicity sighed. “I will. He’s my father. Surely he still has a soul in there somewhere.”

“Felicity if we weren’t in the middle of your living room I would kiss you right now,” said Oliver softly.

Felicity just held on to his hand. “I know. It’s all going to be okay.” She wasn’t sure if she said that more for her own benefit or for Oliver’s. Either way, it made her feel slightly better. She just hoped her father would hear the things she had to say.

\--

True to her word, Felicity stepped into her father’s home office the next day.

“I know you’re the one who had me kidnaped,” she said coldly. 

Mayor Smoak looked up from his paperwork and stared at her. “I’m sorry, Felicity. I did everything to ensure that you would be safe,” he replied. “And you were.”

“You are my father. You’re supposed to care about me, not arrange for your me to be kidnapped!” she shouted, trying to keep her composure. It was an increasingly difficult task. “You’re my father and I love you. Why did you do this to me?”

“I am sorry, Felicity. It was for the greater good,” he replied, not standing up. He rearranged some of the papers on his desk.

“Greater good? What the hell, dad? Greater for who? Because from where I stand, it only looks like you did this for your own benefit,” snarled Felicity.

“I had my reasons!” shouted Mayor Smoak, finally standing up. “There are some things even you don’t understand yet! I love you, Felicity. I did this for our family, too.”

Felicity breathed deeply, trying not to let her anger show. Her eyes widened in fury. “I will take this to the press,” she said coldly. “They will crucify you for this.”

“Oh, will you take it to them along with your extensive hacking history? Or with this?” Mayor Smoak pulled out several photos of she and Oliver together. One was of the night he held her outside when she discovered the truth about her father.

Felicity gasped. “Where did you get these?” 

“I’ve always been suspicious of that bodyguard of yours. You know how much the media would do if these happened to see the light of day. If everyone knew how much you hacked into corporate and individual databases. You release the truth about me and I will tell the world the truth about you,” he replied. He crossed his arms as he stood there watching Felicity glance back and forth between he and the photos. 

His demeanor was calm, but Felicity recognized the same intensity that she had in her own gaze when she was angry.

“You and I are the same, Felicity,” he said, putting a hand on her shoulder. Felicity stepped back, away from his touch. “We’re both brilliant. We’re both calculating. We both know how to get what we want. You and I both know that you take after me more than your mother. But me? I know how to manipulate the press. You don’t. They’d devour you.”

Felicity stood still in shock, silent. “You and I are not the same. We never will be.” She paused. “Does mom know that she married a monster?” She stepped back, away from the man she knew as her father, her eyes wide in shock and dread.

Mayor Smoak shrugged. “I keep her occupied with...other pursuits. She has her fun on the side, as do I, and so do you, apparently. But we look good together on camera, don’t we?”

Felicity tensed, her teeth grinding together in anger. She blinked back tears. “Did you ever love me?”

Mayor Smoak’s face softened. “I always have, my dear Little ‘Lis. I’m just sorry that you can’t see that.”

Felicity left his office in a rush, trying not to break down and cry. Oliver quickly found her and ushered her to her bedroom where he knew she’d be safe and away from scrutinizing eyes. She said nothing and just held onto him for a solid five minutes. Somewhere in there she began to cry. 

“Please don’t leave me,” she whispered between sobs. 

Oliver stroked her hair and kissed her forehead. “I won’t.”

“Promise me.”

Oliver pulled Felicity back so he could look her right in the eye, hands cradling her face. “Felicity Smoak, I promise I won’t leave you.”

Felicity held on tight to him and wouldn’t let go.

It wasn’t until Felicity had fully calmed down that she told him about the details of her conversation with her father. 

“So you aren’t taking everything your father has done to the press? Not even the police?” asked Oliver, his brow furrowed with worry.

“I can’t. He knows. About us, about me hacking, about everything. If I release it, he could just as easily turn me into the next meal for the press and the police. I’d be putting everything at risk for me and for us. I can’t do that,” she answered.

Oliver paused, his brow furrowed in concentration, blue eyes full of consideration. “But maybe I can.”

Felicity shook her head, confused. “What do you mean?”

Oliver held on to her arms. “I mean that if I release it, he has less on me than on you. If I release it, I’m just the bitter bodyguard. I can be the bad guy. It would be easier for me to take the fall for these things than you.”

Felicity shook her head again. “I can’t let you do that, Oliver. You shouldn’t take the fall for the things I’ve done.”

“Felicity, I can’t just stand by and watch your father use and abuse you like this! I have to do something. I don’t care what the cost is for me. I’m going to do whatever it takes to make sure that he doesn’t keep hurting you. I love you. I’m not going to sit by and watch you be miserable as your own father works against you. He’s corrupt, and I don’t have to stand for that.”

Felicity sighed. She had nothing to say to that.

“I’m going to confront your father tomorrow. I have to do something about this Felicity,” he said.

Felicity pursed her lips. “I still don’t like it. But I also can’t stop you. If you can work towards bringing my father justice, do it. But do it for the right reasons,” she said. “And please tell me how it goes tomorrow, okay? I’ll be waiting for you outside his office.”

Oliver grinned and kissed her on the forehead. “I can do that. Now come on, let’s get to bed. We’ve got a big day tomorrow.”


	16. Confrontation: Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note that this chapter does contain depictions of war, violence, and death.

Oliver did exactly what he had to do.

He stepped up to Mayor Smoak’s office within the mansion as Felicity waited anxiously nearby, pretending to do something on her computer. She looked at him and smiled, her hopeful expression betrayed by her furrowed brow and worry-filled eyes.

Oliver went up to her and squeezed her hand. “It’ll be fine, Felicity. He’s a politician, not a madman.”

Felicity squeezed his hands and nodded. “I love you,” she said as he walked toward her father’s office. Oliver looked back and smiled.

“I love you too,” he mouthed before turning and knocking on the door. Felicity couldn’t help but feel a pit of dread forming in the pit of her stomach as she watched from a distance.

“Mr. Queen, how good to see you,” said Mayor Smoak. “Please, come in.” Mayor Smoak ushered Oliver into his office and shut the door behind him.

Felicity clenched her hand tightly, rubbing the tips of her fingers together. She briefly considered interrupting them, telling Oliver that it wasn’t worth it, that she wasn’t worth it, and getting him out from underneath her father. Instead, she sat in complete silence, waiting.

Oliver, meanwhile, stood before Mayor Smoak, alone in his office.

“Ah, Mr. Queen. I had expected you to come by sooner or later. I’m assuming you came concerning my daughter,” he said, an overly polite grin on his face.

“Yes, I am,” he said. “I won’t let you get away with this, Mr. Smoak. I know you ordered her kidnapping. And I won’t stand for it,” said Oliver.

Mayor Smoak suddenly frowned, and his whole composure darkened. “What are you going to do about it? Talk to the press? Talk to the police? You know what will happen to Felicity if you do. There are some things even you can’t protect her from.”

Oliver stepped closer to Mr. Smoak. “You may be able to intimidate and bully your daughter into silence, but I won’t be as easily persuaded,” he snarled. “I don’t have as much to lose.”

“What do you expect from me, Mr. Queen? I’m a politician,” he spat.

“You’re also a father!” shouted Oliver. “Felicity deserves better from you!”

“And what, you think that you can give her what she deserves? You think you can take my place? You’re her bodyguard, Oliver. You work for me. The only reason you’re still here is because you were the one who brought her back to me. You and I both know that wasn’t the plan. Things would be so very different if they had gone my way. Now you’re just an obstacle.”

“I’m going to release all of the information to the press and the police, Anthony,” said Oliver. “You and I both know it will be harder to blame things on Felicity if I’m the one who leaks it to the press. I won’t let you get away with this. Stand down and leave Felicity alone or I will take this to the press on my own terms.”

Anthony Smoak grinned, the same grin he used to schmooze donors and win votes. “You know Oliver,” he began, “The thing about obstacles is that they can be removed.” Without warning, he calmly pulled out a gun and fired. Oliver barely saw it in time. He made a run for the door, but the shot rang in his ears and he felt a sharp pain in his side. 

Oliver had been shot before.

_He could see himself standing there on the battlefield. They’d been ambushed. There was an explosion inside the building they had targeted, and Oliver had been trapped underneath a pile of rubble. Tommy had saved Oliver’s life that day. It gave Oliver the time he needed to get to safety._

_Oliver heard the gunfire and ducked just in the nick of time. He turned around to get Tommy only to find that his best friend had been shot in the chest._

_“Tommy!” he shouted._

_“Ollie,” said Tommy, coughing. Blood._

_“We’re gonna get you out of here, Tommy,” said Oliver, trying to lift his friend up to carry him to safety._

_“Tell Laurel I love her,” he whispered. “I’m sorry.” Tommy’s voice was weak, shaking as he clung to the last threads of his life._

_“Tommy, no!” cried Oliver._

_Tommy smiled up at him. “Thank you, Oliver.” His eyes closed, and Oliver couldn’t keep himself from crying._

_There was a sharp pain in his left shoulder._

_“Tommy?”_

_He was gone._

_Oliver passed out, and when he woke up in the hospital, the first thing he realized was that his best friend was dead and he was alive. Tommy had saved his life, but Oliver wasn’t sure he still wanted to be alive anymore._

Oliver stood there, shocked. He had found reasons to live, now. Time seem blurred around him as he looked down to see himself bleeding. He pressed a hand to his side. Oliver couldn’t feel a thing and pulled his hand away. It was red. 

“Felicity,” he whispered. The last time Oliver had been shot, Tommy had died. He only hoped that if he died, Felicity would be safe. That’s the kind of thing Tommy would have done.

Mr. Smoak shrugged. “I’m sorry, Oliver. I wish things had been different. It’s a pity, really. You were too busy protecting her to think about protecting yourself.” With that, he calmly walked out of the room, glancing around at his surroundings. He pulled out his phone. He had people who would take care of this mess for him. In his haste he didn’t notice Felicity sitting nearby.

The second Felicity heard the gunshot, she panicked. She raced into her father’s office mere moments after he left to find Oliver laying on the ground, bleeding.

“Oliver!” she cried.

She didn’t bother to think of her father walking out then and there. All she knew was that the man she loved was dying. If she didn’t do something soon, he’d be dead. Felicity whipped out her phone and quickly called 911.

“My bodyguard has been shot!” said Felicity, tears running down her face. She tried to breathe as she put her hand over Oliver’s wound, trying to stop the bleeding, or at least slow it down. Pressure had to be put on wounds, right? “I’m at the Smoak Mansion. Please hurry! I can’t lose him.”

She hung up the phone once all necessary information had been given and put her other hand on his wound as well, pressing down. Blood seeped between her fingers, staining them a sickening shade of scarlet. 

“Stay with me Oliver, please,” she urged, brushing his face lightly with the part of her hand that wasn’t covered in blood.

His breathing was shallow, coming in light gasps. “Hey,” he said weakly. He smiled at her. “You’re gonna be okay.”

“Don’t you dare die on me, Oliver Queen!”

“Felicity,” Oliver stroked her hair gently. He looked so peaceful. Felicity couldn’t help but cry. She bit her lip, closing her eyes hard as the tears rolled down her cheeks. “I did everything I could.”

Felicity shook her head. “Please don’t die on me Oliver. Please don’t leave me!” she begged, tears staining her cheeks. There was so much blood. Too much blood.

“I love you Felicity.” His tears blurred his vision. He didn’t want her to know the pain he was in. She was worth it, of course, but if he could spare her any of the pain from this, he would. He didn’t want to leave her. Not like this. But the least he could do was let her believe that he was at peace and not in pain as he lay dying. 

Felicity could hear the ambulance sirens as they pulled up to the house. Felicity thought she’d never feel so simultaneously thankful and fearful of those sirens.

“I love you too, Oliver.”

Oliver’s eyes closed, and Felicity screamed.


	17. Aftermath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I loved seeing all of your reactions to the last chapter! School has been picking up so I haven't had as much of a chance to write, but I'll still try to update at least once a week. :) Thanks for sticking with me and this story. All of your reblogs/comments really encourage me. The Olicity fandom is the best fandom tbh.

_Previously on The Candidate's Daughter..._

_“Please don’t die on me Oliver. Please don’t leave me!” she begged, tears staining her cheeks. There was so much blood. Too much blood._

_“I love you Felicity.” His tears blurred his vision. He didn’t want her to know the pain he was in. She was worth it, of course, but if he could spare her any of the pain from this, he would. He didn’t want to leave her. Not like this. But the least he could do was let her believe that he was at peace and not in pain as he lay dying._

_Felicity could hear the ambulance sirens as they pulled up to the house. Felicity thought she’d never feel so simultaneously thankful and fearful of those sirens._

_“I love you too, Oliver.”_

_Oliver’s eyes closed, and Felicity screamed._

* * *

 

“Felicity Smoak, you need to come with me,” said a detective on the scene.

Felicity sat there in shock, not focused on the police around her as they investigated the scene. Someone took a photo of the blood on the floor. Where was the gun?

“Miss Smoak, can you hear me?” The voices around Felicity seemed muffled and distant.

Someone put a blanket around Felicity’s shoulders and led her to a police car. They were gentle with her, but they had placed handcuffs on her and put her in the back of the car. After all, she literally had his blood on her hands and was found lying over the body. As far as the police were concerned, Felicity Smoak was suspect number one right now.

She sat in the interrogation room, blood on her hands drying. Someone had taken DNA.

“How is Oliver?” she asked the detective sitting opposite of her.

“Miss Smoak, I need to ask you a few questions,” he said nonchalantly. How could he be so calm right now? Oliver was dying!

“I didn’t shoot him, if that’s what you wanted to know,” snapped Felicity.

“Miss Smoak, my name is Detective Quentin Lance. But you’re our only witness that we have so far, and his blood is on your hands. If you didn’t shoot Mr. Queen, we want you to help us figure out who did,” he said.

Felicity blinked. “I know exactly who shot Oliver Queen,” she said.

Detective Lance looked shocked. “Do we need to get a sketch artist in here?” he asked.

Felicity shook her head. “His name is Anthony Smoak. He shot Oliver Queen with the intent of killing him.”

“Miss Smoak, you do realize that you are accusing your father–the Mayor of Starling City–of the attempted murder of one of his own staff?” Detective Lance raised one eyebrow.

“That is correct,” she said, stone faced.

Detective Lance frowned. “And why would he do that?”

Felicity bit her lip. “Oliver knows too much. He and I...we were close.” She closed her eyes and saw him lying there once more. She choked back a sob. “My father obviously did not approve.”

“Is that why he shot Mr. Queen?” Lance asked, skeptical of her story. “You were lovers?”

“No, not lovers. I hate that word. But I did love him, yes. He shot Oliver because he confronted him about the way my father was treating me.” Felicity took a deep breath. “Mayor Smoak arranged for my kidnapping in order to garner sympathy for his campaign. I tracked all the evidence down, I know it’s true. When Oliver threatened to go to the media with it...he shot him.”

“You know that’s a rather unbelievable story, right?” asked Detective Lance.

Felicity pounded her hands on the table. “I can prove it to you. Give me a week, and I’ll show you that my father is guilty.” She shook her head. “I love Oliver. I would never do anything to hurt him.”

Detective Lance sighed. “Miss Smoak, we’ll need time to gather evidence. But in the meantime, we don’t actually have enough to keep you here. You may go, Miss Smoak. Don’t leave the city.” He unlocked the handcuffs around her wrists.

Felicity stood up. “You can count on me, Detective Lance. I can prove to you that my father is guilty. I’ll get the evidence to you as soon as I can.”

“Can I trust you though, Miss Smoak?”

Felicity looked back at him and nodded. “I assure you, Detective Lance, you can always trust me.”

With that, Felicity left the station.

Diggle met her outside the police station, a worried look on his face. “How are you doing, Felicity?”

Felicity shook her head. “My boyfriend’s been shot and everyone wants to know if I did it. It’s only a matter of time before the media gets a hold of this and I don’t even know if he’s alive. Yeah. I’m doing great.”

Digg put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “Let’s go get you cleaned up and head to the hospital, okay?”

Felicity nodded and got into the car. Digg drove her back to the mansion and Felicity rushed to her room. She couldn’t help but see the sheets, still tangled up from that morning when she and Oliver got out of bed. She could see his clothes still laying on her floor. She could practically see where he wrapped his arms around her waist that morning and kissed her neck, teasing her about something or other. She walked to her bathroom, saw the dried blood on her hands, and promptly threw up into the toilet.

Tears streamed down her cheeks, and she wasn’t sure if that was from the intense amount of grief she felt or the result of throwing up. She had to wash his blood of her hands. She couldn’t stay here on the floor forever. Felicity slowly raised herself to her feet and made her way to the sink. She scrubbed and scrubbed, nails biting at her skin as she scratched and scrubbed. Felicity gasped as she tried not to cry. She failed.

By the time her hands were clean, she had been reduced to sobbing on the bathroom floor, hands still wet and clutched to her chest.

Oliver.

Her mind wandered. What would she do if he died? What would she do if she got the call that night?

“Oliver Queen is dead.”

Felicity just sobbed harder, not caring that snot was now running down her face. It hurt. Everything hurt. She wanted him safe and home and her father in jail.

But what if he lived? Surely his wound would take weeks to heal completely. It was agonizing, the waiting. What would it mean for everyone if Oliver lived? Would her father try to kill him again? Was Felicity even safe anymore?

Felicity slowly crawled to her bed, grabbing one of Oliver’s sweatshirts along the way. She pulled it over her head and curled up on her bed in it. She inhaled deeply. It still smelled like him.

She cried until she had no more tears to cry. She was tired and dehydrated and everything hurt. Felicity could have sworn that Diggle opened the door at some point. She was glad that he didn’t talk to her. She didn’t want to talk to anyone right now.

Felicity fell asleep, still wearing Oliver’s sweatshirt, tears staining her cheeks, completely worn out from the trauma of the day. Worse, she still didn’t know if Oliver was alive or not.

She desperately hoped Oliver was still alive.


	18. Dead or Alive?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks to the amazing skcolicity for beta'ing this chapter. You're the best, Sue.

Felicity woke to Diggle bringing her a glass of water. 

“Oliver?” she said weakly. She blinked, her vision finally focusing on what was before her.

Diggle shook his head. “I haven’t heard anything. How are you feeling?” he asked.

“I don’t know if I have a good word for it other than ‘like shit’,” she replied, shrugging. Felicity tried to think of other words. Numb. Cold. Heartbroken. Nothing quite fit what she felt. 

Diggle helped her sit up, and Felicity took the glass of water. “I checked on you earlier,” he said. “But it seemed like you needed a little bit of space.”

“Thanks,” she said. She took a sip of water, the bitter taste of bile still lingering in the back of her throat, washed away by the cool water. Felicity realized just then that Diggle was probably torn up over this, too. The two of them hadn’t had much time to get to know each other, but they both loved Oliver, and that had to count for something. 

They sat in silence for a moment.

“Do you think you can go to the hospital?” asked Diggle after a while. 

Felicity nodded. “I think so.” She threw her legs over the bed, trying to get herself in order to leave for the hospital. She paused a minute, debating with herself about the sweatshirt. She looked down at it, bunching the edge of the garment in her fists. It was clearly not hers; it swallowed up her form in warm, grey fabric. It was comforting. But it wasn’t professional. She slowly pulled it over her head and tossed it on the floor, deciding that it would be better and safer not to wear it.

“If the press see me, they’ll ask too many questions,” she said. She didn’t know why she felt the need to justify her actions. She and Oliver weren’t officially, publicly together, after all. It didn’t make sense for her to wear his sweatshirt to the hospital when there was still a risk of the press finding that story and running with it.

Felicity went the bathroom and wiped her face down with a cool washcloth and reapplied some makeup. After all, if the press were going to be all over her, she had to look the part of a politician’s daughter, not someone who had been taken into police custody that afternoon while grieving over the shooting of her boyfriend. Appearing normal would be the hardest part of this whole ordeal. 

By the time they reached the hospital, Felicity was just barely holding it together. She clutched Diggle’s arm, not sure that if she let go she’d be able to stand. 

“He’ll be okay,” said Digg. Felicity wasn’t sure if she said that more for her sake or his own. Either way, she was glad he was with her. They walked into the ER and Digg asked one of the nurses about Oliver. He was still in surgery, she said. She’d alert them when he got out. There was still a chance for him, then. 

Several minutes later, a young woman with short brown hair ran up to them. 

“Oh my god, I just got the call. What happened?” she asked.

Diggle turned to Felicity, who had been staring at her hands the whole time. “Felicity Smoak, meet Thea Queen, Oliver’s sister.”

Felicity vaguely remembered Oliver saying something about his little sister. “It’s nice to finally meet you,” she said. “I’m sorry it’s under such terrible circumstances.”

“You’re Felicity?” asked Thea.

Felicity nodded, and Thea threw her arms around her. Felicity found it oddly comforting.

“He really loved you,” whispered Thea.

Felicity smiled faintly, a few tears returning to her cheeks, her breath catching. “He really loved you too.”

Thea finally broke the embrace, stepping back and wiping her tear filled eyes. “What happened to my brother?”

Diggle stepped forward to speak. “Thea,” he bega. He glanced at Felicity, who had been biting her lip and staring at the ground again. She looked up at him and shook her head.

“It’s okay Digg. I can tell her.” Digg nodded and Felicity took a deep breath. “Your brother was shot trying to protect me. He...he confronted someone who hurt me and threatened to expose him, and he nearly died for it, if he makes it out of surgery, that is.”

Thea’s jaw dropped open. Her lip quivered. “Is he going to be okay?”

Felicity shook her head. “I don’t know. I hope so.”

“Felicity, John?” asked Thea. They looked at her with rapt attention. “Do whatever it takes to make sure whoever shot him is brought to justice.”

Felicity met her eyes with grim determination. “I promise you, Thea, I will do anything for the sake of your brother.” A chill prickled down her spine, and Felicity suddenly wondered what exactly she was capable of if given the right motivation. She wasn’t sure she wanted to think about that. 

The nurse suddenly entered the room and everyone turned to look at her. Felicity held her breath, something she didn’t realize she was doing until after the nurse said,

“Mr. Queen made it out of surgery. He’s still asleep, but we think he’ll pull through.”

Felicity let out a sigh of relief. “When will he be able to see visitors?” she asked.

The nurse shook her head. “Not for a while. It may take him several hours to wake up. We’ll alert you when he does wake up.”

Felicity nodded. Oliver was alive. That’s all that mattered right now. The media would be following her soon. Her father...well, if the police had talked to him, who knows what would happen next.

But Oliver was alive. Felicity held onto that word like a drowning man clinging to driftwood in a storm. She smiled.

_Alive_.


	19. Alive

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks to skcolicity for being an amazing beta! Thank you for all of your reblogs and reviews. It really brings me a lot of joy to see so many people enjoying this fic!

It took the media all of three hours to get wind of the story.

Phones began ringing at the hospital, Felicity’s phone rang several times, and she spotted several photographers and journalists walking into the waiting room. As soon as the media started digging, Felicity warned Thea to leave. 

“They’ll be after you if they see you. They see you as a source, Thea, not as a grieving sister,” she warned. “Tell them nothing. Go home, lock your door. Don’t answer any strange phone calls, but call me if you need something.”

Thea nodded. “Thank you, Felicity. Let me know if anything changes with my brother,” she said, giving her a quick hug before leaving quickly and quietly.

Felicity felt bad for the poor girl. Her brother had been shot and yet she still had no idea of the full story. But Felicity didn’t have the heart to tell her that there was something much more sinister going on. Someday Felicity would tell her whole truth. Or perhaps one day Oliver could. But until then, she had her own demons to fight.

One of the reporters approached her, and Felicity felt a knot of dread forming in her stomach.

“Miss Smoak, can you explain why you were taken into police custody this morning?” asked one.

“Can you tell us anything about why your bodyguard was shot?”

“Miss Smoak, what is the nature of your relationship with Mr. Queen?”

Felicity could feel her blood pressure raising. “No comment,” she stated. Cool and collected. She had to remain calm if she wanted the media out of her face. She couldn’t tell them the truth. Not now. There was still too much at stake.

“No comment!” she asserted as they continued asking questions, pushing closer and closer to her. No doubt there’d be speculation. Someone would get something from one of the doctors or nurses, someone who had seen something, anything would have worked for such a high profile story.

Diggle tugged on her arm. “This way.”

Felicity followed without hesitation, and found that she and Diggle had entered Oliver’s hospital room. She froze.

It was terrifying, seeing him lying there, his face paler than normal, his body completely still, heart monitor beeping faintly in the background.

“Oh Oliver,” she whispered.

Felicity clenched her fists together to keep herself from completely breaking down again. She stood there, eyes and fists clenched tightly closed.

“Felicity.” His voice was light, airy, her name whispered like it was the last bit of daylight still hanging on before the night falls. 

Something crumbled inside Felicity and she found herself running to his bedside. She stopped just short of touching him, worried that she might hurt him in some way. She settled for kissing his forehead, tears in her eyes as she stared at him.

He ran his fingers lazily through her hair, staring up at her. He smiled. “I didn’t die. That’s cool.” 

Felicity laughed in spite of herself. She held his hand, unwilling to let go of him another time. “Can I kiss you?” she asked softly.

Oliver grinned. “I think my body can handle it.”

Since Oliver couldn’t move much, Felicity bent down and kissed him gently. His lips were dry and cracked, the kiss itself simple due to the logistics of the situation, but Felicity couldn’t have been happier. She had Oliver back.

Diggle cleared his throat, and the two of them parted.

“It’s good to see you, Digg,” said Oliver, smiling. He was thankful to see his friend.

“Good to see you too, Oliver.” Digg stepped up to Oliver’s hospital bed and stood over him, smiling. “I really gotta find a better way to keep you out of the range of bullets.

Oliver tried not to laugh. “Guess this job wasn’t so simple after all.” He looked at Felicity. “It’s been worth it though.”

Felicity squeezed his hand. She wondered how long it would take him to heal completely. She knew it was wishful thinking to hope that he’d be better in less than a week, but gunshot wounds surely took longer than that to heal from.

One of the nurses walked in.

“We’ve cleared the press from the hospital. We’ll need to keep Mr. Queen in the ICU for several days. If he heals quickly, he should be back up to par within three weeks. But until then, we need to keep an eye on him,” she explained. She proceeded to check his vitals and the morphine drip keeping him out of pain and vaguely sedated.

Felicity and Diggle watched in silence until the nurse told them that they had to leave.

Felicity kissed Oliver’s forehead one more time, clutching his hand tightly as she did so. She didn’t want to let him go. “Goodbye, Oliver. I’ll see you again soon.”

“See you soon, Felicity.”

Diggle and Felicity left, both of them feeling slightly more hopeful than ever before. Felicity rubbed her fingers together, remembering the way Oliver’s hand felt against hers, his rough and calloused fingers against her smooth hands. She never wanted to forget the way his lips moved across hers.

Still, even in spite of her hope, Felicity wondered how long it would take for things to get messy again. Her father was sure to cover his tracks somehow, and that meant that the two of them weren’t out of the woods yet. Felicity had no idea what he was planning and what she needed to prepare for. If she could get the police to believe her story, she’d be safe and free, and Oliver could heal in peace.

It took two days for everything to fall apart.


	20. Going Under

Felicity should have known that the calm wouldn’t last longer than a day, two days at most. Felicity had immediately moved all of her things out of her apartment in the Glades since her father now knew about it. Her only problem was what to do with her equipment. Clothes could be moved, donated; same with the furniture. But she had thousands of dollars’ worth of computer equipment. She needed a plan B. 

What Felicity needed was a base.

If she was going to collect the evidence against her father and turn it into the police and the media, she needed a place to do it out of her father’s watchful sight. The secret apartment had been compromised. But after several phone calls and more than one intense negotiation, Felicity officially owned an old steel factory. She wasn’t sure what she was going to do with it, but the basement seemed like the perfect place for her babies. 

She had Diggle help her set up shop. Felicity really only had Diggle and Oliver that she trusted, and most of the reason she trusted Digg was because Oliver trusted him. She spent most of the first day after visiting the hospital working on her project. Felicity had to prepare for the worst, and that meant being ready to go underground at a moment’s notice.

“Felicity, don’t you think you should take a break for a moment?” asked Diggle that evening. Felicity had been pounding away at her keyboard for several hours, skimming through mostly useless emails and documents, trying to find proof, something, anything that incriminated her father. He’d taken care of most of the online information, which didn’t sit well with Felicity. He was planning something, something big. He didn’t plan on being discovered, which made it hard for Felicity to follow his trail. Anthony Smoak hadn’t left much for her to go on. He was good. 

But Felicity was better. She just needed a little more time…

She felt a large, gentle hand on her shoulder. She looked up to see Diggle there, a worried expression on his face. 

“Come on. It’s visiting hours. Let’s go visit Oliver,” he said. 

Felicity sighed. He was right, of course. She did need a break, and she wanted to see Oliver. She rubbed her eyes, sore and strained from staring at the computer. She stood up and stretched and left with Diggle. 

She brought him flowers. A dozen red roses mixed in with a dozen blue irises, to be exact. Felicity set them on the table next to his bed. Oliver woke up a little while later and smiled.

“You brought me flowers,” he said.

Felicity grinned. “Of course I brought you flowers.”

“You’re perfect,” he said, skimming his thumb over her hand.

Felicity blushed. “Don’t you mean they’re perfect?” she asked.

Oliver shook her head. “I meant exactly what I said.”

Felicity leaned down and kissed Oliver in response, slow and gentle. When she broke the kiss she felt breathless. She could tell by the heaving in his chest that he did too.

“When I get out of this bed,” he said, face mere inches away from hers. “I’m getting into yours, and we won’t leave until we are both thoroughly satisfied.”

Felicity felt a warm flush spread all over her face and body. “You’d better heal fast then,” she said, thankful that Diggle had given the two of them a moment after he visited with Oliver on his own. 

“I plan on it.”

Felicity kissed him once more for good measure. She sat with him for a while as he slept off and on, occasionally looking at her and smiling. They talked some, and Felicity told him about her new hideout. 

Eventually though, Felicity had to leave. Diggle already had his chance to speak with Oliver alone, so the two of them headed out. 

Diggle’s phone buzzed, and he looked at it. “Shoot, something came up. Can you make it home by yourself, Felicity?” he asked. 

Felicity nodded. “I’ll call a cab.” If Felicity was honest with herself, she was looking forward to that time alone. She liked Diggle well enough, but he wasn’t officially her bodyguard, so he really wasn’t obligated to stick by her like he had. He was a good man. 

Felicity made it home that evening feeling safe and hopeful. Oliver was on the mend. She was gathering her evidence and slowly forming a solid case against her father. She wasn’t certain if and when her father would give his own testimony, but she hoped that it would give her enough time to present what she had. He needed to be exposed. No, that wasn’t quite right. Felicity needed to expose him for who he is. If all else, it helped her ease the pain of the things she went through. 

For the first time in a long time, Felicity felt hopeful.

\--

Oliver was surprised when he found a new visitor in his hospital room. 

“I thought visiting hours were over,” he said, staring up at the new visitor. Oliver recognized him from that night at the benefit.

“It’s a good thing I’m not a visitor, then,” the man replied. 

“Who are you?” he asked. “You’re Malcolm Merlyn, aren’t you?”

Merlyn smiled, walking over to Oliver’s IVs. He stared at the morphine drip for a moment before pressing the button to increase the flow into Oliver’s veins. “There are those that call me The Magician, Mr. Queen.”

Oliver could feel the increase in the IV drip begin. His body relaxed. It felt like he was floating. “They’ll find me,” he murmured. 

Malcolm shook his head. “Don’t think I came to this unprepared. I know the schedules of your nurses. No one will find you until it’s too late.” With that, Malcolm walked out the door. 

Everything felt fuzzy. Oliver tried to keep his mind clear. If only he could somehow hold on, if only he could alert the nurses. Too much morphine.

“Felicity,” he murmured. He tried to keep his eyes open, his mind focused. “Felicity.”

He could feel his breath slowing. It took conscious effort for him to breathe.

“Felic...”

He couldn’t die. Not here. Not now. Not while she was still in danger. 

“...Lis…”

\--

Felicity had been feeling hopeful all night. She sat at home in the mansion, relaxing in her living room. After leaving the apartment behind, she didn’t have anyplace else to go. The foundry wasn’t quite ready yet and she couldn’t risk anyone finding it. Still, she was thankful that she got to see Oliver that day and that he was doing better. The doctor said he’d be moving soon. He was healing quickly, and Oliver would hopefully be completely healed in several weeks.

There was a knock at the door, and several police officers burst into the mansion after one of the staff opened it. Felicity suddenly found herself lifted off the the couch by a police officer and roughly handcuffed. 

“What is going on?” she demanded, struggling against the handcuffs. This didn’t make any sense. The evidence should have taken longer to process than that, even if her father had formulated something against her. This shouldn’t be happening!

“Felicity Smoak,” said Detective Lance. “You’re under arrest for the murder of Oliver Queen. You have the right to remain silent.”

Detective Lance continued to inform her of her rights and Felicity’s head spun. Murder? Was Oliver dead? How? When?

What the hell was going on?


	21. Breakout

**I'm very excited to announce that there is now an official[playlist ](https://8tracks.com/sweetocotopodes/the-candidate-s-daughter)for this fic!**

 

_Previously on The Candidate's Daughter..._

 

_There was a knock at the door, and several police officers burst into the mansion after one of the staff opened it. Felicity suddenly found herself lifted off the the couch by a police officer and roughly handcuffed._

_“What is going on?” she demanded, struggling against the handcuffs. This didn’t make any sense. The evidence should have taken longer to process than that, even if her father had formulated something against her. This shouldn’t be happening!_

_“Felicity Smoak,” said Detective Lance. “You’re under arrest for the murder of Oliver Queen. You have the right to remain silent.”_

_Detective Lance continued to inform her of her rights and Felicity’s head spun. Murder? Was Oliver dead? How? When?_

_What the hell was going on?_

 

* * *

 

Felicity Smoak had hit a low point.

Spending the night in the SCPD holding cell was not how she expected to spend her night. She probably would be transferred to Iron Heights in the morning, which was an awful thought. Even if orange really was the new black, it really wasn’t her color.

She laid on the small cot in the cell, rubbing her temples. It didn’t make any sense. Nothing made sense anymore. She’d been arrested for Oliver’s murder, which meant he was dead. Felicity refused to believe it. She’d seen him mere hours before she had been arrested(,) and he had been fine. But if it was officially classified as murder…

Felicity tried her best not to cry. No. Not now. She couldn’t afford to breakdown now. She had to figure a way out of this mess, whether Oliver was alive or dead. Somehow her father had beaten her at her own game. He’d stacked the evidence against her so that even if she was cleared of his shooting, it looked like she had killed him via his morphine overdose. Which, as far as Felicity knew, her father made it sound like Felicity had been out to kill Oliver all along.

This had gone way too far. It was so messed up. The only thing she didn’t understand was why. Why go as far as murder to keep Oliver silent about Felicity’s kidnapping? That’s what this was all about, right?

Unless it wasn’t.

The thought hit Felicity like freight train. What if there had been something much deeper and darker involved in her kidnapping? What if, in her quest to find out who had kidnapped her and to prove her father guilty, she had missed the bigger picture? What if she hadn’t been kidnapped just for popularity?

The thought sent a shudder down her spine. If there was something bigger going on, Felicity needed to get out now in order to figure it out and stop her father’s plans. There had to be a deeper relationship between a gang leader, a billionaire, and a political leader. But what?

She sat up quickly and stood by the iron bars of her cell. “Hey!” she shouted. “Hey, let me out of here! I’m not guilty!”

No one heard her, or perhaps no one listened. Felicity groaned in frustration and sat back down on the cot. She glanced around the cell. Maybe, just maybe there was a way out of this. But really, what were her odds of breaking out of a prison cell in the police station? It wasn’t like she was some sort of badass fighter. Felicity was the wealthy daughter of a corrupt mayor with nothing on her side right now but a genius brain that understood computers. Breaking out of places wasn’t exactly her forte. If only she had Digg or Oliver with her, she could maybe come up with a plan.

But all alone, Felicity Smoak wasn’t much of a threat. And maybe in certain situations, she could use that to her advantage. But now? Not so much. And for the second time that week, Felicity cried herself to sleep.

She woke in the middle of the night to the clang of her cell door opening. Felicity’s eyes opened wide as she saw Detective Lance standing before her.

“Go,” he said.

Felicity shook her head. “I–I don’t understand.”

Detective Lance sighed. “I believe you, Felicity. I don’t know why, but I’ve got a gut feeling. I could lose my job for this, but you’re right. The evidence doesn’t add up. If you bring me the real evidence, I’ll help you bring justice to whatever bastard is going after you and your boyfriend. But neither of us can do that if you’re stuck in Iron Heights.”

Felicity stood up and faced Detective Lance. She paused a moment before wrapping her arms around him in a warm embrace. “Thank you,” she whispered.

Lance patted her on the back gently, surprised at the show of affection. Felicity reminded him of his own daughters. If her father was really behind all this mess, well, he felt bad for her. She deserved a better family than the one she had.

Felicity pulled back. “Thank you, Detective Lance.”

He smiled at her and returned her belongings. “Go, Felicity. It won’t take anyone long to figure out that you’ve escaped.”

Felicity walked away, but turned back as she reached the door. “What about you? You’re helping a prisoner escape.”

Lance shrugged. “I’ll be fine. I’ll manage. Now hurry!”

Felicity left, quietly sneaking out of the station, continually glancing back as she made her way to the foundry. She was safe, for now. Detective Lance had taken a great risk in helping her, and Felicity knew exactly how to return the favor and keep her escape secret.

She smiled as she deleted all of the video footage from the station feed and any other video cameras that would point to her location. She worked her way through her personal history, deleting any possible trace of herself. It took her all night, but Felicity Smoak had finally disappeared from the grid.

Felicity Smoak no longer existed. As she worked on her computer that night, Felicity knew one thing: she had disappeared, but something else entirely had been reborn. And it was downright thrilling.

 

 


	22. Heartbeats

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, many thanks to skcolicity for being an amazing beta. Thanks for all of your reviews and comments! I appreciate every single one! This chapter is a bit short but hopefully it works well for you guys!

Felicity felt a certain high in erasing herself from the grid. For the first time in a long time, she felt free. She could do almost anything now that she’d erased herself from society. But like all highs, it eventually ended when she looked at the hospital records for Oliver Queen.

_Time of death: 7:07 pm._   
_Cause of death: Morphine overdose_

Felicity had already had a major breakdown over Oliver’s near-death experience. Well, death, now. Felicity wasn’t sure she had any tears left to cry or any other way left to mourn. In a way she felt guilty for not feeling worse about his death. In all truth, she simply felt numb and empty and angry. Her own father had turned against her and made her out to be some sort of murderous monster. The man she loved was dead, and she was alone.

She watched the video of her father giving his account of the shooting.

“The poor girl. She thought he was in love with her. It was all a matter of blackmail at the wrong time. He wanted more money. Mr. Queen showed me those photos and demanded that I pay him more or else he would take it to the press. I wanted to protect myself and my daughter, obviously, so I paid him. Felicity, however, caught him in the act. She was obviously upset and in her rage, I saw her shoot him. She clearly regretted her decision, as she was the one who called the police. I had left to go get help while she called. I feel bad for her. I never wanted it to be like this.”

Felicity felt sick watching him lie to the police like that, getting so emotional about his daughter becoming a murderer. Of course they believed him. It was easy for them to believe that Felicity was the jealous, bitter lover. Of course. Blame the woman for being overly emotional. She wanted to scream.

Felicity found herself curling up on her bed and trying her hardest to fall asleep. She was exhausted but restless, true rest consistently evading her. When sleep finally did come, it was filled with nightmares.

Oliver was there. It was in her father’s office back at the mansion. But this time she was the one holding the gun, the cold metal burning against her hands.

“Felicity don’t do this!” he said. The room spun slowly making her very dazed and confused and angry.

Her hands shook as she pointed the gun at him. He quickly walked forward and kissed her passionately and intimately. And for a brief moment, everything felt right with the world again. It was the one place Felicity wanted to be and it was only a dream.

Then the gun went off.

Oliver stood there, bleeding out before her. He didn’t look pained. “Why did you shoot me?” he asked, his eyes filled with hurt.

Felicity stared in shock as everything around her started to spin faster and faster. She tried to speak, but words wouldn’t come out.

“Why did you let me die!” He was angry now, his face contorting and twisting, his mouth suddenly wide and gaping, filled with pointed teeth, eyes wild like a wolverine, red and violent. Felicity found herself staring into a mirror, her own reflection morphing and contorting into the face of her father.

“You and I are the same, Felicity.”

Felicity screamed. She saw Oliver, lying on the floor. Something pulled him away from her, and she tried chasing after him. Invisible chains held her back as Oliver faded into nothingness.

She heard a loud bang. Another gunshot in her dream. No, that noise wasn’t  a part of her dream. Someone was banging on the foundry door.

Felicity woke up screaming.

“Oliver!” she cried.

The knocking came again, and Felicity checked the cameras she had installed outside the door. It was Diggle carrying...something on his back. Felicity couldn’t quite tell what. She unlocked the doors from her computer station and let him in.

He was panting and soaking wet from the rain outside. And he was carrying Oliver’s body on his back.

Felicity’s eyes widened and she began to panic. “Why...why would you bring his body in here!” she said, nearing hysterics at the sudden sight of a limp Oliver. “You can’t just bring a dead body into the foundry like that!”

Diggle set Oliver’s body down on an empty table. “Felicity,” he began.

“No!” she shouted. “I don’t want to see Oliver’s dead body while I’m working! Please get it out of here!”

Diggle put his hands on Felicity’s shoulders. “He’s alive, Felicity.”

Felicity stared at Diggle and then looked over at Oliver’s body. Alive. That couldn’t be. She had seen the time of death on the hospital records. Felicity shook her heads. For once she was at a loss for words. It was too much. Too much all at once. She couldn’t handle this.

“Felicity please. He’s alive. But I need your help. His wound is still healing and we need to patch him up, quickly!”

It wasn’t until Felicity saw Oliver stirring that she finally snapped out of her daze. “I’m not a doctor! I know how to patch up computers but I don’t know if I...if I can help fix him.”

“We need to do something, Felicity. Do you have any medical supplies down here?” he asked. Felicity could hear the desperation in his voice, and Felicity wondered what exactly he did to rescue Oliver, and at what cost.

Felicity shook her head. “I...I don’t have anything more than bandaids.” Diggle gave her a cold look and Felicity frowned. “I didn’t think I’d be having anyone laying on the table dying down here!”

Oliver started gasping in pain, and Felicity suddenly got an idea. It was a slim chance, but something needed to be done. She put her bluetooth in and dialed a number.

“What are you doing, Felicity?” asked Diggle.

Felicity turned to him, eyes filled with determination. “Calling in a favor.” She focused in on the phone call. “Caitlin? It’s Felicity. How fast can you get to Starling City?”

 


	23. Not Alone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, okay, sorry for the lack of updates. I've gotten really busy with school and suddenly hit a nasty case of writer's block. I'm slowly working through it, but I have fewer chapters prepared than I wanted, and I'm still not quite satisfied with the chapters I have after this one. I hope this has been well worth the wait. I'm doing my best to take the time to do this story justice and give all of you amazing readers the story you deserve. So be patient with me! Thank you to Sue (skcolicity) for being the best beta a girl could ask for. :)

Felicity felt bad for bringing Caitlin into this, especially the way they did. She gently pulled the pillowcase off Caitlin’s head.

“Are you okay, Caitlin?” asked Felicity. “Sorry about the whole pillowcase thing. Um, technically I’m a fugitive, so we can’t really risk anyone finding out where I’m hiding. Even you.” 

Caitlin shook her head. “I just...I don’t understand it, Felicity. I’ve heard about what’s going on over in Central City but I know you better than that. What’s going on?” 

Felicity pointed to Oliver. “First, we need to take care of this,” she said. “Please, Caitlin. I didn’t shoot him.”

Caitlin nodded and gulped. “I know. I just hope I have enough supplies to take care of this.”

Diggle stepped over to Caitlin. “If you need any help, I do have some minor training from my time in special ops.”

“Wash your hands, then. It’s more than likely that I will need your help,” ordered Caitlin.

Felicity stood behind the two of them as they hovered over Oliver. She watched as Caitlin put an IV in his arm, wincing slightly. She hated needles. That’s why Caitlin was the doctor, and not her. Well, Felicity wasn’t a doctor for a number of reasons, her fear of needles being only one.

“Anything I can do to help?” asked Felicity, her voice a little higher and weaker than normal. 

Caitlin chuckled. “Felicity, in all the years I’ve known you, you’ve never been particularly good around, well, anything medical. Let me take care of this one, okay? Next time my system crashes in Central City I’ll be sure to call you. In the meantime, let me do my job.” 

Caitlin smiled at Felicity, something that helped her relax. She’d never been quite so grateful for Caitlin before and swore to herself that she’d try to be a better friend to her.

Felicity tried working on her computers, attempting to decide what to do next while she waited for Caitlin and Diggle to finish checking up on Oliver. It was taking too long. She hated hearing the faint noises coming from that direction of the room because she couldn’t tell if it was good or bad. Felicity felt slightly woozy from it all. She got up and started pacing to try and distract herself.

“Felicity you’re doing that thing again,” said Caitlin, still concentrating on Oliver.

“What thing?”

“That thing where you get really anxious and impatient and try quite poorly to hide it. Talk to me, Felicity,” replied Caitlin.

Felicity sighed. “About what?”

“About Oliver. Tell me about him. Tell me everything. Tell me why I’m patching up the guy everyone says you shot.”

“First of all, I didn’t shoot him, my father did. I...I love him, Caitlin. I don’t know how or why it happened, it just did. At first I hated the fact that he was assigned to protect me. I’ve had bodyguards before. There was just something different about Oliver. He cared about me, saw me as more than just a pretty face or compliant daughter. He understood me and I understood him, and it was nothing short of magic.”

Felicity laughed. “I took him on a picnic. Told my father I was taking you and Iris, but really I just wanted to be alone with him. That was the first time we kissed. I wish things were that easy again.”

She paused and stared at her hands.

“It was my father who had me kidnapped. He did it for his campaign, and for some other reason I have yet to figure out entirely. I’m working on that. I tried talking to him about it, but he shut me down. Oliver confronted him, and well, Oliver’s the one lying here on the table and my dad is the tragic hero. I wound up taking the fall for it. It hasn’t been a very good week for me.” She realized that she nearly lost Oliver twice within the week. 

Before that thought could fully sink in, Caitlin turned around and smiled. “All done! He’s healing remarkably well. I just wanted to make sure his insides were kept...inside,” she said. “Lucky for him I found no leakage from his stomach in-”

Felicity held up her hand. “I think I get the picture. So he’ll be okay?”

Caitlin nodded. “It looks like the naloxone took a nasty toll on him, but he’s stable. I’ve got him connected to both saline and morphine. He should be awake in a couple hours. If I got his morphine dose correct, he shouldn’t be in too much pain.” Caitlin walked over to Felicity and gave her a big hug. “He’ll be okay, Felicity. You both will be.”

And at that, Felicity lost it. She couldn’t help but cry. She’d been so alone for so long, and finally having the comfort of a close friend around broke down the barrier she’d built around her heart.

“Thank you, Caitlin.” Felicity pulled back from the hug and wiped her eyes. “I’ve been so alone lately, so lost and confused. I’m twenty-two and dealing with corrupt politicians and kidnappings. I can’t handle this alone, and Oliver usually helps me, but I’ve been way too close to losing him.”

Diggle put his hand on her shoulder. “So don’t do this alone.”

Felicity turned to him. “Huh?”

Diggle nodded. “You don’t have to do this alone, Felicity. You’re looking for truth, for justice. You don’t have to be alone. I know for a fact if Oliver was awake right now he’d tell you the same thing. Let us help you.”

Felicity glanced at Caitlin, who nodded.

“I need to go back to Central City, but I’ll be back in a week to check on both you and Oliver. I believe in you, Felicity. You’re a genius. You’ll figure a way out of this.” Caitlin gave her another hug before grabbing the pillowcase, smirking as she held it in hand. “Now I take it we’ll need this again?”

And for the first time in a long time, Felicity laughed, finally feeling at home.


	24. Bittersweet Reunion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for being so patient with updates you guys. I really appreciate it. School has been really crazy and my muse has been fickle. But guess what? The muse is back! For some reason 3x20 really inspired me. Go figure. In the meantime, enjoy the update! The next chapter will definitely be longer than this one. And come say hi to me on Tumblr! (I'm redpendreaming!)

It amazed Felicity how a brief visit from a friend could help her mood. She glanced over at Oliver, who looked much better than when she last saw him. She felt slightly calmer knowing that Oliver was going to be okay. She had friends who supported her. It was going to be okay.

Still, Felicity couldn’t get help the nagging feeling that something else was wrong, or that something else could go wrong. After all, right after she finally felt good about seeing Oliver in the hospital, he’d died. Er, faked his death. She still needed to ask Oliver and Diggle about that. Why hadn’t they warned her? Maybe they were less of a team than she thought.

“Hey,” said Oliver weakly, turning his head to look at her.

Felicity smiled and walked over to him, planting a light kiss on his forehead. “Hey. You’re alive.”

“Yeah, I am. I’m glad.” He stared up at her with adoration in his eyes.

“Me too.” She gave his hand a light squeeze. “How did you manage that?”

Oliver looked up at Diggle as he walked down the stairs. “Diggle. We had a backup plan in case anything happened. All it took was a single message and I got the naloxone and somehow...somehow I made it.”

Felicity nodded. “I’m glad you did. But why didn’t you tell me? I went to jail. Well, technically it was a holding cell, but you get the point.” It wasn’t hysteria in her eyes. It was hurt. 

Diggle set a hand on her shoulder. “To keep you safe. I know it’s not ideal, but we had to make it believable to protect everyone. We didn’t want any of this to happen, but it did.”

Felicity nodded. “I can understand that, but next time don’t tell me what’s safest for me, okay? I can make my own decisions.” 

No one quite knew what to say after that. 

Felicity sighed. “Thank you for helping Oliver, Diggle. I owe you.” She left to sit down at her computers, leaving the two men to wonder what was going through her head. She sat there, quietly typing away.

“Felicity, what are you thinking?” asked Oliver, worried about his girlfriend.

Felicity bit her lip in concentration, and then looked up at her boys. “Who did this to you, Oliver? Did my father try to kill you again?”

Oliver shook his head. “It was Malcolm Merlyn. He called himself The Magician.”

Felicity silently turned back to her computer, eyes running across the screen. 

Diggle crossed his arms. “What are you doing, Felicity? Shouldn’t you be resting, letting yourself breathe after all of this mess?”

She breathed deeply, eyebrows wrinkled in sadness and frustration. “I am. It’s just...none of this sits right with me. Even you two making decisions for me. Everyone has always done that for me in the past and I don’t need that anymore. I know we’re in this together. I know I’m not alone. But my father is out there planning something that I don’t know about. Malcolm Merlyn tried to kill you. It’s a puzzle that I haven’t figured out yet and yes, I’m overjoyed that Oliver is safe and alive but I can’t sit around doing nothing waiting for him to heal. Doing my research is helping me breathe easier, it is helping me rest, knowing that I’m getting one step closer to stopping whatever it is my father has planned, knowing that I’m one step closer to keeping the ones I love safe.”

Felicity could tell that neither Oliver or Digg completely bought what she said, but she was only being honest. As honest as she could be right now. 

“Promise me you’ll take some time for yourself, Felicity?” asked Digg, knowing that it would be practically impossible to tell her to do anything or get her to agree to something she wasn’t in favor of. 

She sighed. “I’ll do my best. Thank you, John,” she said with a nod. 

He nodded. “I’m gonna head out for the night. Call me if you need anything.”

With that, he left. 

Felicity continued tapping away at her keyboard, biting on her lip in concentration. She glanced over at Oliver. She wanted to be next to him for her own sanity, but she needed to be at her computers for his sake. 

“Felicity.”

The way he said her name made her pause, eyes closed, his voice echoing in her ears. She’d never get tired of hearing him say her name, especially because even just a day ago she thought she may never hear it from his lips again. Something about him saying her name made her breathe a little easier. 

“Yes, Oliver?” she asked, turning to him, looking and feeling relaxed for once.

“I’m sorry,” he said, voice strained and filled with emotion. 

“Hey.” Felicity walked over to him and cradled his face in her hands. “Listen to me. You have nothing to be sorry about. My father and Malcolm Merlyn are the ones who ought to be sorry. Not you.” She pulled up a chair and sat down next to him, her head resting on his chest.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered.

“I love you,” she said back. 

He ran his fingers through her hair slowly, letting himself feel the strands of her wheat-colored waves. This wasn’t the most comfortable position, but they both needed the comfort of being together. 

“I love you,” murmured Oliver. “I love you.” 

He kept repeating the words over and over as if it were the only thing he could say. He felt a dampness on his chest and realized that Felicity was crying. He pulled her closer as best he could, relishing in the comfort of her presence next to him. He needed her beside him. He needed her touch if all else to remind himself that he was still alive. She was the best sort of weight on his chest. He felt a dampness at his own eyes and realized that he was crying silently alongside her. 

The two of them soon fell asleep like that, together once more, embracing their bittersweet reunion.


	25. No Guns

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm graduating from university in a few weeks. That's exciting/scary. Same with the season finale sneaking up on us so quickly. I'm not ready. For any of it. So while I attempt to cope with real life things, have a chapter update! It's a long chapter. A lot of things happen. A lot.

Felicity’s frustration about her father only grew over the next few weeks. Oliver slowly began to heal, but Felicity felt like she was getting absolutely nowhere with her searches. Her father was a dead end. Malcolm Merlyn was a dead end. Felicity really needed to get out and talk to someone, talk to her father about what the hell he was doing. She needed to do something.

It was shortly after Caitlin gave Oliver a clean bill of health that she decided that she needed to learn how to fight. Better yet, how to work with a gun.

“Teach me how to shoot a gun,” she demanded one afternoon.

Oliver had been doing part of his physical therapy exercises Caitlin had given him to help him get back up to normal again. He straightened and looked her in the eye. “No.” He started to walk away, but she grabbed his arm.

“Why not?”

“It’s dangerous, especially in here. I don’t want you to end up with blood on your hands. That’s the kind of thing you don’t erase no matter what you do,” he replied. With that, Oliver went back to work.

Felicity sighed, resigning herself to it. Come to think of it, the foundry probably wasn’t the safest place to practice with a gun, considering the ricochet possibilities. Even though she didn’t like his decision not to teach her, it was a decision she understood and respected. She stared at the gun laying on the metal table. They did have a gun. Just in case.

Still, her hands were just itching for something to do or she would probably go mad from sitting around and waiting for things to happen.

“Teach me to fight, then. At least help me learn how to defend myself,” she asked.

Oliver paused, considering her statement. “Now that I am willing to teach you.”

Felicity grinned. “Now that’s more like it!”

Shaking his head, Oliver let out a breathy laugh and nodded his head in the direction of the small locker she kept spare clothes in. “Change your clothes, and I’ll help you tape up your hands. We’ll start on the training dummy.”

Soon enough she had changed into her yoga pants and a tank top. She held out her hands for Oliver to tape and her eyes couldn’t help but meet his as he wrapped her hands. His eyes darkened as they met hers and Felicity felt a flush spread all over her body. They hadn’t had sex since he’d been shot. Felicity tried not to think about that as they walked over to the training dummy, his hand low on her back but she couldn’t deny the electricity she felt running through her body when Oliver touched her.

“The first thing you need to know about throwing a proper punch is how to actually make a fist. Show me how you make a fist.”

Felicity balled her hand into a fist. Oliver took her fingers and adjusted them, moving her thumb from the inside of her fist to the outside.

“If you hold a fist with your thumb on the inside, you’ll break it. You want to inflict the most damage to your opponent while taking the least damage possible. So when you do punch someone or something, try to hit with your first two fingers. Your ring and pinky finger are more likely to get hurt if you lead with those,” he explained. “Your knuckles will do more damage than the flats of your fingers and are less likely to hurt your hand.”

Felicity nodded, trying to retain all of the information he was giving her.

“Keep your fist loose, too. Firm, but loose. Don’t hold it so tightly that you start cutting off circulation.”

Felicity had no idea there was so much technique involved in throwing a punch. There was a surprising amount of details to remember.

“Extend your arm as you would in a punch,” he instructed.

Felicity did so, and he helped her adjust her position.

“Try to point your wrist down slightly so you do punch with your knuckle. It will make your punch more effective, even though that may feel counterintuitive. Keep your wrist and forearm aligned. Now show me your stance.”

Felicity did her best to get in a fighting stance. She blushed as Oliver adjusted her hips. Was that a hitch in his breath that she heard?

“Keep your core tight. When you do punch, keep it all level with your shoulders,” he explained. He was now directly behind her, hands still on her waist, breath hot against the shell of her ear.

Felicity felt her body growing warm with desire. It was distracting, having him so close.

“Oliver?” she asked, her voice wavering, head turning back slightly to look at him.

“Let me see you throw a punch, Felicity.” he said.

Felicity did so, grunting. Oliver’s hands were still on her waist. He pulled her back against him and she gasped as she felt him hard against her back. He pressed a few open mouthed kisses to her neck.

“How was that?” she asked, heart fluttering in her chest.

“Beautiful,” he murmured between kisses. His hands wandered down her waist and hips, skimming between her legs.

“Oliver,” she moaned, grinding her ass against him. She threw her arm back to lace her fingers through his hair.

“It has been way too long since I’ve touched you like this Felicity,” he said breathily.

Felicity continued grinding against him as he rubbed her sex. “I want you, Oliver. It’s been too long.”

“I’ve missed this,” he said, lips hot against her skin, sending shivers down her spine. “I’ve missed you. I want you, Felicity.”

“Then have me,” she replied.

Oliver spun her around and kissed her hard, pulling her closer and closer to him. He placed his hand under her ass and lifted her up. She immediately wrapped her legs around him as he carried them to their bed.

He stopped at the edge of the mattress. “Too many clothes.” He helped Felicity out of her tank top before lifting his own shirt over his head.

Felicity stared at him, eyes soaking in the beauty of his bare chest before her. “God, I love you,” she whispered.

Oliver kissed her again and they both tried to slide their pants off as they did so, rather unsuccessfully. Felicity laughed as she almost tripped over her own feet.

“Okay, hold on, hold on, let me get my pants off,” she said. “Apparently I can’t kiss and take my pants off at the same time, and I’m guessing that right now you’d rather have me with my pants off than…”

“Fe-li-ci-ty,” growled Oliver as he pulled down the zipper of his jeans.

“Coming,” she said, with a wink.

Oliver licked up her neck and she moaned. “You will be,” he growled in her ear.

Felicity shivered in pleasure and once more wrapped her legs around his waist, his length rubbing between her folds.

“Oliver please,” she moaned.

He lowered her gently to the bed. “Condom?” he asked.

Felicity shook her head. “Pill.”

Oliver grinned, looking almost feral as she helped line him up at her entrance. He thrust into her and both of them moaned at the sensation. Oliver waited a moment to let her adjust to his size before moving.

He started out slow, but Felicity kept moving faster. “I need more, Oliver,” she said. He increased his speed, thrusting into her over and over again. It was almost cleansing, washing away all of the horror and terror of the past several weeks. They were together again. Alive. And god did it feel good.

Neither of them lasted long. It had been too long for both of them. Oliver thrust faster and faster and Felicity threw her head back in pleasure. He brought his hand down to rub her sensitive nub. That was all it took for her to come around him, shaking and screaming in pleasure.

Her orgasm triggered his own and he pulsed inside of her, pushing them through both of their climaxes. He lay on top of her, breathless. He eventually pulled out of her before going to grab a washcloth to help clean both of them off.

Felicity lay on the bed, naked and smiling. It was the first time in a long time she’d been happy. She let Oliver help clean her up before he laid next to her, holding her tight and kissing her hair.

“I love you,” he whispered.

“I love you too.”

Oliver soon fell asleep with his arms around her, finally content. The world was crashing down around them, but they had each other. They always would.

Felicity couldn’t sleep, though. Sure, she napped a little after the sex, but she soon woke and was unable to fall back asleep. She kept thinking about her father, about Merlyn, about the ways that her own father had smeared her name publicly. She wasn’t a monster. She wasn’t a criminal. She was just trying to do the right thing and here she was hiding away from everyone, unable to find out the truth.

She got out of bed, silently slipping out of Oliver’s arms. She looked up and out the window. The moon cast a pale blue light across the open space, giving her just enough light to see. The silence thickened like smog as even the sounds of the city were muted down here. Felicity’s eyes wandered over to the table with a gun. The moonlight glinted off the cold steel of the gun.

Felicity bit her lip. She was formulating a plan. A very bad plan. But right now it was the only plan she had. She quickly put on clothes. Dressed in all black and wearing black gloves, she grabbed the gun, checked the safety, and strapped it to her hip. She paused as she headed for the door, glancing back at Oliver. Felicity raced back over to the desk and quickly scribbled a note to Oliver in the case that she was still gone when he woke. She felt guilty for leaving him, especially after they finally had the chance to be together for the first time since the shooting. But she had to do this for her own peace of mind. And really, she was doing it for him.

Felicity walked slowly and quietly to the door, shutting it gently behind her. She didn’t want to wake Oliver. If all went according to plan, she’d be back before he woke up with a new lead ready for them. It was time for something new.

It was time for her to pay her father a visit.

* * *

 

Oliver woke to a cold and empty bed. He shot up from under the covers, his heart racing as he looked around for Felicity.

“Felicity!” he shouted.

Silence.

No. No, this wasn’t happening. Oliver threw the sheets off his body and raced around the foundry. That’s when he spotted it. The empty table and the yellow sticky note. He picked it up and read.

Oliver,

I’m sorry. I couldn’t wait anymore. Hopefully I’ll be back before you wake up, and I’ll be back with a new lead. I love you.

Felicity

“No!” Oliver slammed his fist on the table. She had taken the gun. She snuck off in the dead of night. She was going after her father and she was going alone. It was literally the worst decision she could make.

He had to go after her.

There was no choice here. She was likely sneaking into the mansion now. She’d know how. She was smart and she knew that house well. But what evidence did Oliver have to believe that if pressed, Anthony Smoak would not shoot his own daughter?

Oliver yanked on a pair of dark pants and a black shirt along with some spare rounds for the gun. Just in case. He hoped that he wouldn’t have to use them. But with what Felicity had done, he wasn’t sure of anything.

With that, Oliver raced off to find Felicity and bring her home before something terrible happened. Again.


	26. Home Invasion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yup. I know it's been a long time since I updated. But hey, I graduated college! Come say hi to me on Tumblr @redpendreaming!

Felicity’s heart pounded in her chest, almost feeling like it would burst out of her ribs or like someone would hear it and come running after her. She’d made it inside the mansion, careful in her steps. She accessed the video camera feed and shut off the cameras. The guards were all probably asleep anyway. The darkened hallway was still, and a pang of nostalgia rushed through Felicity. How many times as a little girl had she run through these hallways? How many times had she snuck around with Oliver in these hallways? Those days were gone, and she was now an intruder in her own home.

The feeling was surreal.

Felicity heard a noise behind her and her hand immediately flew to where she had the gun strapped to her hip. She didn’t pull it out, however.

“Felicity?”

Felicity blinked and gasped at the person before her. “Mom?”

Seeing her mother standing before her in the hallway was a shock. Felicity hadn’t prepared for that. She had prepared for seeing her father, she had prepared herself with a gun, even. She had prepared to sneak in and possibly unleash her wrath with the information she needed. Seeing her own mother standing in a bathrobe with droopy eyes was not something Felicity had expected.

“Felicity!” Donna Smoak raced to her and embraced her tightly. “I’ve been so worried about you, my baby.”

It took a moment for Felicity to return the hug. “I’m sorry, mom. I...they think I killed Oliver. You know I didn’t do it, right mom? He...he’s alive.”

Donna stepped back and cradled her daughter’s face in her hands. “Of course I know that, sweetie. I know I didn’t raise my daughter to be a killer.”

At that, Felicity felt guilty about the gun she had hidden. She’d been prepared to use it if she had to. Maybe she had more in common with her father than she thought.

“Mom, there’s something you should know,” began Felicity, gripping her shoulder tightly.

“Donna? Who are you talking to? Come back to bed.”

Felicity’s heart nearly stopped. It was her father, standing there in his pajamas at the door to their bedroom. She stepped back, ready to run if needed.

“It’s our daughter, Tony! She came back!” exclaimed Donna, her smile bright and filled with love.

Felicity slipped out of her mother’s grasp before hearing her name called out.

“Felicity? You shouldn’t be here!” cried her Father. “Donna, go back to bed.”

“But Felicity…”

“Now, Donna!” The tone of his voice frightened both Donna and Felicity.

Donna did as she was told, waving goodbye to Felicity as she closed the door to the bedroom. It hurt Felicity to see her mother that way.

Anthony Smoak walked over to Felicity, grabbing her arm. “You and I need to talk.”

* * *

Oliver had the impending feeling that he and Felicity weren’t the only ones who had snuck onto the mansion grounds that night. It was nearly four a.m. and perhaps it was the lack of sleep or his sex-addled brain, but something didn’t feel right. 

Since Felicity had taken the gun, Oliver was left with nothing but a handful of throwing knives. He wasn’t particularly good at knives (he was best with a gun or a bow and arrow, really) but he could make do with whatever weapon he had. He deeply hoped he didn’t have to use them tonight. He hoped no weapon would be used by anyone tonight, but considering the fact that Felicity had just snuck into the house of the man who tried to kill him and got his daughter arrested, he wasn’t particularly hopeful.

Out of the corner of his eye, Oliver thought he saw someone or something moving. No, it had to be a something. Right? No one else could or should be here at this hour. It made no sense for anyone else to be here.

A light in one of the upstairs windows alerted Oliver that someone was indeed awake inside the house. He worried for Felicity, desperately hoping she was safe. He didn’t know what he would do if she wasn’t.

With that in mind, Oliver silently crept into the house, careful to avoid cameras and guards that patrolled the area. Soon enough, he was inside, approaching the room with the light: Anthony Smoak’s office.

* * *

Felicity stared at her father, a mixture of anger and hurt and fear in her glassy eyes. “You can’t possibly expect me to believe that you did all of this to protect me. You practically destroyed my life! You had me kidnapped! You shot my boyfriend and got me arrested!”

Anthony sighed. “I know. Felicity, I know I’ve made mistakes, and I know I’ve done bad things. But you can do better. You can stop this,” he said, pulling a file out of his desk. “But believe me when I say that the alternatives to all of this were much, much worse.”

He handed Felicity the file, and she opened it, gasping as she saw a series of photographs of she and her mom, completely unaware, through the scope of a gun. There she was, smiling by her apartment in the Glades, and she was in the midst of the cross-hairs of a sniper rifle.

“What is this?” she demanded, waving the file in front of her.

Anthony looked down. “I am not the brains behind this operation. It’s Malcolm Merlyn. He has ways of getting people to work for him, to do what he wants. I may have paid for your kidnapping, but he’s the one who suggested it. He’s the one who told me that I needed to do it. And for his plans, it was necessary.”

“You’re a coward,” spat Felicity, her hand on the gun.

“And you think you’re better? You have a gun, I know you do. And you think pointing it at me will make you different? You and I have always shared certain similarities. Doing crazy things for the ones we love is one of them.”

Felicity took a deep breath and took her hand off the gun. “What is Malcolm Merlyn’s plan, then? What could he possibly be thinking of that would force you to kidnap me?” she asked.

Her father handed her a book, blank. “This is the book. He could kill me for giving it to you. All of these people have had something to do with the Undertaking, something to do with everything wrong in this city.”

There was a noise outside the window, and a shadow moved by the door. Felicity’s hand moved to her gun.

“He’s here,” said Anthony, stepping back, hands shaking. “Felicity, I’m sorry. Make right the things that I have done wrong.”

“Dad, what is the Undertaking? What does this book have to do with anything?” she asked, suddenly very worried for both of their lives.

A gunshot sounded, and the window broke as a bullet hit Anthony Smoak in the leg. He cried out in pain, sinking to the ground.

“Go, Felicity! I’m so sorry you got mixed up in this.”

The door burst open and Oliver rushed to Felicity. “Let go of her!” he growled.

Felicity raced to him. “I’m okay, Oliver. He’s been shot, though. Not by me,” she insisted.

Oliver embraced her. “Someone else is here, we need to go!”

Felicity shook her head. “He’s been shot!”

Several more gunshots sounded, and Oliver grabbed her hand and ran. “There’s no time! It’s not a fatal wound, he’ll be fine!”

The two of them ran, gunshots echoing behind them as the mystery assailant continued firing at them. Oliver panicked, trying not to think about the gunfire, trying not to think about it being responsible for Felicity’s death instead of Tommy’s. Oliver and Felicity didn’t stop running until they were safely off the grounds and headed back into the city.

Felicity stopped, breathing heavily. Her shoulder hurt. She touched it, trying to figure out what was wrong. Something red was on her fingers.

“Oliver?”

He turned to her, momentarily snapping out of his focus on running.

Black dots surrounded Felicity’s vision. She looked up at Oliver, confusion in her eyes.

He placed a hand on her back, worried. “Talk to me, Felicity.”

“Oliver, I’m bleeding.”

 

 


	27. Scars and Ideas

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! Couldn't just leave you hanging there, could I? ;)

It was virtually impossible for Oliver not to panic when Felicity told him she was bleeding. She had indeed been hit by a stray bullet, a bullet in the shoulder. He immediately called Diggle. Nevermind that it was only...five in the morning. The sun would be up soon, and they’d lose the cover of darkness. If anyone caught them, well, that was something Oliver didn’t want to deal with.

“Oliver why am I bleeding?” asked Felicity, going into a state of shock. She blinked slowly, leaning on him.

“You’ve been hit. You’re gonna be okay. We’re gonna get you back to the foundry and we’re gonna get you all patched up.”

“It hurts,” she said, tears streaming down her face.

Oliver kissed her forehead. “I’m gonna take care of you.” He lifted her into his arms and carried her as far as he could until he met Diggle, who helped drive him back to the foundry.

“What happened?” he asked.

Oliver swallowed, finally breathing after such a long night. “She decided to get more information out of her father. Things...things didn’t go well,” he said, helping lift Felicity into the car.

“Did she get any information out of him?” he asked.

Oliver shook his head. “I don’t know. I hope so.”

That was all that needed to be said between the two men. Felicity was now out cold in Oliver’s lap. He could have put her in the backseat, but he refused to let her go.

They arrived at the foundry and snuck in. As the resident field medic of the team, Diggle gave her an oxycotin as she woke up and started stitching her up.

“She’s gonna have a scar,” he said.

“Ol..vr…” mumbled Felicity as she slowly realized what was happening.

Oliver was by her side instantly, stroking her hair with his hand, trying to help keep her calm. “Hey, you’re okay.”

“I’m...I’m gonna have a scar...jus like you,” she said, her speech slurred from both the adrenaline crash and the oxycotin.

Oliver couldn’t help but laugh. “Yes you will, Felicity.”

“I like the way you say my name. Flissssty,” she mumbled.

Diggle tied off the stitch and checked it over once more before announcing that everything was okay.

“You’re my hero, Digg,” she said, giving him a kiss on the cheek and patting his face.

Digg couldn’t help but smile. “Felicity, I think you might have been the hero tonight.”

Felicity shook her head. “Nope. My boys. My boys are the heroes. I’m just tech support.”

Diggle shook his head. “Good luck, Oliver. Now if you don’t mind, I’m going to go to work. Some of us still have jobs in the real world.”

“Thank you, John,” said Oliver. He then turned to Felicity. “We’re your boys, huh?”

Felicity nodded. “Yup. You’re my boy. That sounds weird. Why does everything that comes out of my mouth sound so weird? You’re weird. No, that’s not right. Maybe I’m the weird one.” Felicity suddenly started staring at her hands, wrinkling her brow in confusion.

“Well, you’re my girl, Felicity. Let’s get you to bed.”

“I’m your girl?”

Oliver stopped and placed his hand on her cheek. “You will always be my girl, Felicity.”

Felicity grinned, eyes droopy from both the drugs and the lack of sleep. “I love you,” she sighed.

Oliver pressed a gentle kiss to her temple. “I love you too, Felicity. Come on. Let’s get some rest.”

Felicity curled up next to Oliver, her body and mind both completely worn out from the events of that morning.

She woke up feeling stiff and sore, her shoulder in pain. She buried herself closer to Oliver. “Ow. I did a dumb thing.”

Oliver kissed her on the forehead. “So she admits it!” he said playfully.

Felicity rolled her eyes. “Okay, so maybe it was dumb, but I got a lot of good information out of it. I have direction and I know that my father isn’t the whole brains behind the operation. I mean, he’s a coward and a jerk, but he’s not the one doing all of this.”

Oliver shook his head. “I don’t understand. What do you mean?”

“I saw pictures. Pictures of me and my mom through the scope of a gun. He may have planned to kidnap me, but I think he was only the money. Or maybe just the guns. I think he was pressured to do this. And it sounds like we were right about there being a bigger plan. He gave me this.” Felicity handed him the book.

“Why is it blank?” asked Oliver, examining the book slowly.

Felicity shrugged. “Invisible ink? ”

“Then we should try to make it visible,” said Oliver with a slight grin. As terrible as this situation was, he enjoyed the sense of mystery.

Felicity walked over to find some sort of heat source to expose the ink. She dug around in her belongings and quickly found a pack of matches. Oliver raised an eyebrow at her as she lit the match. Felicity shrugged and held the match up to one of the pages, exposing a deep red ink.

“Holy...that’s a lot of names,” said Felicity, aghast. “And if all of these Starling City elite are involved somehow…” She took a deep breath. “Oliver we need to talk to them. Look into this Undertaking.”

“They’re not gonna talk to either of us. We’re off the grid, Felicity,” answered Oliver, setting the book down on the table. “And why would any of them want to talk to us, anyway?”

Felicity paused, thinking for a moment. “Unless it’s not us they’re talking to,” she said.

“What do you mean?” asked Oliver, his brow wrinkling with confusion.

“You said you were good with a bow and arrow, right?” asked Felicity.

Oliver nodded slowly, staring at Felicity with a puzzled look on his face.

Felicity grinned.  “I have an idea.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feed my muse and review?


	28. A New Crusade

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew! Happy trailer day! This story is back! (Sort of.) Anyway. If you're still reading this, thank you!

Oliver groaned. “You’re right. I hate this idea,” he growled into the comms. He hated the leather suit. It was tight and really showed off his...assets more than what he thought was necessary. “Where the hell did you get this suit anyway?”

“I have my resources, you have yours,” said Felicity with a grin. She monitored Oliver’s progress on the first computer screen. “Alright, you’re getting close to his building. Remember what we agreed?”

Oliver sighed. “No kill shots, just warning shots.” He paused. “Do you really think a guy dressed in green leather with a bow and arrow is really gonna get anyone to talk?”

“No clue,” replied Felicity. “But it’s worth a shot.” She chuckled at her own pun.

“You are the worst,” muttered Oliver.

“Just for that, no sex tonight,” replied Felicity. She could practically hear Oliver pouting on the other side of the comms. 

“Please stop,” asked Digg on the other end of the comms. “I really don’t want to hear about your sex life.”

“Sorry Digg!” exclaimed Felicity. 

Oliver said nothing, but just smiled. (Felicity and Diggle knew exactly what he did without him saying a thing.)

He scaled the building as quick as he could. He knew Diggle was on the other side of the building, acting as backup. The target was Devin Walker, a wealthy estate owner who seemed to have close relations with both Malcolm and Anthony. From Felicity’s research on him, he seemed to be a pretty crooked man.

“Do we have any evidence of his insurance fraud?” asked Oliver. “We might be able to both find out more about the Undertaking and put him away for good.

“Well, see if you can find anything or force a confession out of him. You have those recording arrows I made you, right?” asked Felicity.

Oliver nodded before remembering that Felicity couldn’t actually see him. “I do. I think we can manage to get something out of him.” Sure enough, Oliver found Walker sitting in his office silently. He crashed in through the window, arrow pointed straight at the man’s heart.

“Devin Walker,” he growled. “You have failed this city.”

\--

It was a half an hour before Diggle and Oliver returned safely.

“Any other news on the Undertaking that you could find?” asked Felicity, turning around to face her two favorite men.

Oliver shook his head. “He was particularly unhelpful. But I did leave him by the police station, recording in hand about his insurance scams.”

“You’re already making this city a better place, Oliver,” said Digg, patting him on the back. “Even if you do look ridiculous.”

Oliver turned to Felicity, glaring at her. “Yes, why exactly am I the one dressed in the hood? And where did you even find this costume?”

“It’s not so much of a costume as much of an identity concealer. If the world thinks you’re dead, you probably shouldn’t go out in public shooting people with arrows,” she replied. Felicity turned her attention back to her computer.

“What are you working on now, Felicity?”

Felicity sighed. “A different angle. Slade was one of the men who helped kidnap me. Maybe he knows something, or at least more than anyone knows.”

Oliver leaned on the desk next to her. “You want me to go talk to him? Apparently I look pretty intimidating in leather.”

Felicity looked Oliver up and down, winking at Oliver before replying, “No, I think we need to wait on this one. I might have to go talk to him.”

“No,” said Oliver. “I’m not letting you go out there alone.” He put his hand on her arm, his face pleading with her. They’d nearly lost each other so many times; he wasn’t about to lose her again.

“I’ll take Digg with me. Besides, I won’t do it now. I want to find something solid about the Undertaking first before approaching him. He’s a dangerous man.” 

Oliver sighed. “Understatement of the year.”

With that, Diggle left. “Some of us still have normal jobs outside of a crusade with a dead man and a missing heiress.” They bade their farewells, and Oliver took some time to work at the training dummies.

“Thank you,” said Felicity, suddenly looking up from her computer. 

“For what?” asked Oliver in between strikes to the training dummy. 

Felicity shrugged. “At my suggestion you just put on a green leather suit and sent a crooked man to the police. Even if you didn’t get much information about the Undertaking, you did a good job. So thank you for helping me on my mission. You didn’t have to, and you did.”

Oliver stopped training and met Felicity in the middle of the room. He put his arm on her shoulder.

“It’s not just your mission, Felicity. It’s my mission, too. It’s Diggle’s. We’re in this together, even if it does involve that ridiculous green leather,” he answered. Oliver leaned in to kiss her, but Felicity held her hand up.

“You’re really sweaty,” she said with a grin as his lips met the palm of her hand. 

Oliver shrugged. “And you’re a little turned on by that, aren’t you?” he asked with a wink.

Felicity shook her head and took a step back. “Oh no, mister. No kissing until you shower. You stink,” she said with a giggle.

Oliver grinned and sighed. “You could always join me?” he offered.

Felicity laughed. “In your dreams, Queen,” she replied as he walked over toward the shower, not trying to hide the way her gaze wandered over his torso. She’d give him about ten minutes before she joined him. 

In the meantime, she’d run several scans of as many names in that book as she could. Without a doubt she’d run Slade’s name. If he was a hired gun, there was the possibility that he could yet be an ally to them, if all else as a source of information. 

Their mission tonight hadn’t been a failure, but it hadn’t been a success either. Felicity turned on the news, reports of the attack at the Smoak mansion coming in. No trace of mention of she and Oliver, which was a good thing. No mention of Malcolm Merlyn, either. He certainly was a slippery man. Felicity would have to run through all she could with the money and the files. She needed more access, though. More access to Malcolm Merlyn and his records. There were ways to get that kind of information, none of them good or legal, really. Felicity sighed. She wasn’t sure she wanted to go down that path tonight. They’d already done a number of dubiously legal things that night. 

In the end, was she really any better than her father? Participating in dubiously legal acts in order to spread her own form of justice? It was too much for one night. Pulling her shirt over her head, Felicity decided it was high time she joined Oliver in the shower.

Addressing her moral conscious would have to come later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reviews literally feed my soul.


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